The first U.S. Census officially commenced on August 2, 1790. According to the results, New York was the nation’s largest city with a population of 33,131. George Washington was inaugurated in New York on April 30, 1789 at what is now Federal Hall National Memorial.
According to the 1790 Census, the total U.S. population at the time was 3,929,214. That number included 697,624 enslaved people; the state with the most slaves was Virginia with 292,627 slaves reported.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau:
“Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson expressed skepticism over the final count, expecting a number that exceeded the 3.9 million inhabitants counted in the census.”
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
