POPULATION. The population by decades has been as follows: 1790, 378,000; 1800, 422.000; 1810, 472.000; 1820, 52:1.000; 1830, 610.000; 1840, 737.000; 1850, 994,000: 1860, 1,231.000; 1570, 1.437,000; 1880. 1,783.000; 1890. 2.238.000: 1900. 2,805.000—negroes, 31.974. In 1790 JMassa phusclls ranked fourth in population, then grade- ' ally fell to the eighth place in 1840, since which period its rank has been sixth or seventh. • in I density it stands first, with a population of 348 to the square mile. The percentage of increase in the last decade was 23.3, being exceeded by that of only four other Stales east of the Mississippi River. The increase in the class of native born of native parent: was small (about 76,000), and of the foreign born, la rge. The increase of the native born of fore 4m parents was equal to the other two Masses combined. Until near the middle of the last century the people of Massachusetts were almost wholly of English descent. TWO movements, however, have wrought a vast change with respect to race. The first of these was the migration westward of the native popu lation. The other was the great influx of foreign ers, largely front Ireland and Canada, those from the latter country being mainly of French descent.
The foreign born in 1900 numbered 840.000, or 30 per min. of the total population, while 897.000 were native born children of foreign parents, thus Milking the present population of the State pre dominantly of a non-English type. The influence of the westward emigration from the State and the increased opportunity for females to find em ployment in the mills and at domestic service has resulted in a preponderance of this sex, the per centage of females being 51.3—greater than in any other State. The decided growth of the manufacturing industry has resulted furthermore in placing the State second in the percentage of its urban population. There are 56 towns hay ing over 8000 inhabitants, which is a larger num ber than in any other State. In 1900 the popula tion of Boston was 560,892; Woreester, 115, 421; Fall River, 104,863; Lowell, 94,969; Cam bridge. 91,886; Lynn, 68,513; Lawrence, 62.559; New Bedford, 62.442; Springfield, 62,059; Somer ville, 61,643; Holyoke, 45,712; Brockton, 40,063; Haverhill. 37,175; Salem, 35,956; Chelsea, 34, Malden, 33,664; Newton, 33,587; Fitchburg, 31,531 ; Taunton, 31,036; Gloucester, 26,121.