HISTORY OF THE PROGRESS OF.POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES. From 1790 to 1870. By EDWARD JARVIS, M.D., PRESIDENT Of THE AMERICAN STATISTICAL ASSOCIATION. BOSTON: PRINTED BY DAVID CLAPP & SON. 6(H Washington Street. 1 87 7. HISTORY OF THE PROGRESS OP POPULATION OP * THE UNITED STATES. From 1790 to 1870. By EDWARD JARVIS, M.D., President op the American Statistical Association. BOSTON: PRINTED BY DAVID CLAPP & SON. 564 Washington Street. 1 877. This History of the Progress of the Population of the United States was written in 1872, for the eighth session of the Interna- tional Statistical Congress, which was held at St. Petersburg, Russia, in August of that year. It was printed in their volume of Transactions and distributed to the members, and to the several Governments that had sent delegates to that meeting. Although many copies were thus spread throughout Europe, very few reached America. Yet as the subject is of very great interest to the people of the United States, and has not been presented in this form to them, the American Statistical Association have thought proper to reprint it among their Transactions. Publishing Committee. Boston, Oct. 1, 1877. PROGRESS OF POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES. The territory of the United States was occupied exclusively by the Indians until the Spaniards made small settlements in Florida, in the early part of the sixteenth century. The French began a colony, in that country, about fifty years later. Rut neither of these flourished or grew into large populations. The E nglish made their first settlement at Jamestown, in Virginia, in 1608, and in Massachusetts in 1620. Two years later, 1622, the Dutch made settlements in New York, and soon thereafter some Swedes settled in Pennsylvania. From these times, immigrants have come from Europe. Previous to this century, these were principally from England, and with the exception of a few Dutch in New York, Swedes and Germans in Pennsylvania, Spaniards in Florida and French in Louisiana, the English occupied nearly the whole country, and they and their descendants constituted nearly the whole white population, until within fifty years. The first Africans were brought to Virginia, in 1620, and sold as slaves ; they were brought, for the same purpose, to other southern districts of the country, from that time until the end of 1807, when their importation was prohibited by law. Since that year, few have been imported, none except by smuggling, in spite of the vigilance of the public officers. 4 PROGRESS OF POPULATION Florida was settled by the Spaniards and held by them, until 1819, when it was transferred to the United States. France first settled Louisiana in the seventeenth century, and held the country until 1760, when it was ceded to Spain. In 1800, it was transferred back to France, and, in 1803, sold to the United States. Great Britain held the rest as provinces until the war of independence, which began in 1775 and closed in 1783. There were thirteen British Provinces, which became thirteen States at the declaration of independence in 1776. Until that period, the settlements were almost exclusively east of the Alleghany mountains and the lakes, and on the Atlantic coast. Afterwards population extended westward, and at length reach- ed the Pacific Ocean. As fast as districts are settled, they are organized by Congress into territories, with local legislatures elected by the people, and governors and judges appointed by the president. As soon as these territories have a sufficient number of people, they are established, and admitted into the Union as States, with local self-governments and representations in Congress. The natural increase of the population was rapid, which, with the constant immigration, created an estimated number of 434,600 people in the country in 1715, of in 1754, and of 2,743,000 in 1775. There were some actual enumerations of the people of a few States, in and after the middle of the last century, but none of the whole country until 1790. The national constitution, or organic law, which was estab- lished in 1789, ordered that the census should be taken in every period of ten years, in such a manner as Congress shall direct. In accordance with this, there have been nine enumerations of the people—one in each decennial year. Congress has, from time to time, determined the points of inquiry and the informa- tion that should be obtained. The results of each census have been printed by the govern- ment, and distributed freely among the people. The report of OF THE UNITED STATES. 5 1790 was embraced in an octavo pamphlet of less than sixty pages ; that of I860 occupied four quarto volumes, containing 2,313 pages. That of 1870 is now passing through the press, and probably will be as large as any of its predecessors. In all, the facts as to persons, numbers, ages, etc., are stated, in respect to each town, county, and state and territory. At the first census in 1790, there were thirteen states and two territories. The inquiry was made, as to the whites, for the number of each sex, the number of males under and over sixteen years old; as to the colored persons, the number who were free and who were slaves. There were then whites .... 3,172,006 Colored, free 59,527, slaves 697,681 = . 757,208 Total population 3,929,214 At the second census, in 1800, there sixteen states and three territories. The inquiry was made, as to the whites, for the number of each sex, under 10, 10 to 16, 16 to 26, 26 to 45, and over 45 ; and as to colored, the number who were free and who were slaves. There were then whites .... 4,306,446 Colored, free 108,435, slaves 893,602 = . 1,002,037 Total population 5,308,483 At the third census, in 1810, there were seventeen states and seven territories. The inquiry distinguished the whites, as to sex and number in each age, and also the colored people as to freedom and bondage, all in the same manner as in 1800. There were then whites .... 5,862,073 Colored, free 186,446, slaves 1,191,362 = 1,377,808 Total population 7,239,881 At the fourth census, in 1820, there were twenty-four states and three territories. Inquiry was made, in regard to the whites, as to sexes, the males as to ages under 10, 10 to 16, 16 to 18, 18 to 26, 26 to 45, and over 45 ; the females were classed 6 PROGRESS OF POPULATION in the same manner, except that there was no class of 16 to 18, but all, 16 to 26, were included in one class. The colored, the free and the slaves, and the sexes were given separately, and each distinguished as to ages, under 14, 14 to 26, 26 to 45, and over 45. There were then whites .... 7,862,166 Colored, free 233,634, slaves 1,538,022 = 1,771,656 Total population 9,633,822 Inquiries were also made, as to agriculture, commerce and manufactures; the number of persons engaged in each, and the amount of production ; and the number of foreigners not natu- ralized. At the fifth census, in 1830, there were twenty-four states and four territories. The whites of each sex were distinguished, those under twenty into quinquennial periods of age, and those over twenty into decennial periods. The colored of each sex were divided into the free and the slaves, and arranged in classes, as to age, under 10, 10 to 24, 24 to 36, 36 to 55, 55 to 100, and over 100. Inquiry was also made as to the number of foreigners not naturalized, and, among the whites, the blind and the deaf and dumb. The last were divided into classes as to age, under 14, 14 to 25, and over 25. There were then whites .... 10,537,378 Colored, free 319,599, slaves 2,009,043 = 2,328,642 Total population 12,866,020 At the sixth census of 1840, there were twenty-six states and four territories. Both the whites and the colored were classified as to age, in the same manner as in 1830. Inquiry was made as to the blind, the insane and idiots. The insane and idiots were distinguished as to personal independence and pauperism. The white deaf mutes were arranged, as to age, as in 1830. The numbers engaged in the great classes of employment, and the amount of production in many specific branches of in- dustry, were ascertained and reported. OF THE UNITED STATES, 7 There were then whites .... 14,195,805 Colored, free 386,293, slaves 2,487,355 = 2,873,648 Total population 17,069,453 At the seventh census, in 1850, there were thirty-one states and seven territories. The same inquiries were made, as to sex, age, color, personal disability, employment and production as in 1840. The same were repeated in 1860 and in 1870. The result showed that there were then in 1850 : Whites ....... 19,553,068 Colored, free 434,495, slaves 3,204,313 = 3,638,808 Total population 23,191,876 At the eighth census, in 1860, there were thirty-four states and eight territories, and there were Whites 26,922,537 Colored, free 488,070, slaves 3,953,760 = 4,441,830 Chinese ....... 34,933 Indians ....... 44,021 Total population 31,443,321 Slavery was abolished in 1863. At the ninth census, in 1870, there were thirty-seven states and ten territories. The numbers of the people were : Whites 33,589,377 Colored ....... 4,880,009 Chinese ....... 63,254 Indians ....... 25,731 Total population 38,558,371 The Indians who still live in their wild state, under their own chiefs, have not been included in these enumerations. But those who adopt civilized habits, and are under the local municipal governments, are included. In eighty years, since 1790, the white population has multi- plied more than tenfold, and those of African descent more than sixfold. 8 PROGRESS OF POPULATION Table I. Increase of White Population. Year. Number living. Increase in ten years. Number. Rate per cent. 1790 3,172,006 1800 4,306,446 1,134,640 35.76 1810 5,862,073 1,555,627 36.12 1820 7,862,166 2,004,268 34.09 1830 10,537,378 2,671,037 34.02 1840 14,195,805 3,658,527 34.72 1850 19,553,068 5,357,263 37.73 1860 26,922,537 7,369,469 37.68 1870 33,589,377 6,666,840 24.76 Origin of the Population. Immigration from abroad was the only source of population in the beginning, and the chief source during the early ages of the country. But as land was cheap, very productive, and accessible to all, labor was ever in demand and richly remune- rated, and provisions were easily obtained, marriages took place early. The climate was healthy, and the people almost univer- sally temperate and industrious. Hence the natural increase was very rapid. Immigration. No account nor record was made of the number of immigrants O that arrived previous to October, 1819. Then and thereafter, the law of Congress required that all, who came by sea or lake, should be registered at the custom-houses. Their birth-place, age, sex, occupation and destination are recorded and reported to the government. Beside these, there were some Europeans, who came to the British Provinces and thence by land, across the border, into the United States, and also some natives of the British Provinces came in the same way. These enter at no OF THE UNITED STATES. 9 custom-house, and no record nor report is made of their arrival. On the contrary, some of the immigrants, who land at New York, Boston, and Portland, and are there reported, afterwards pass to Canada. The numbers of immigrants, between 1790 and 1820, were carefully estimated by reliable observers at the time. The number of natives of the British Provinces who came across the border, unnoticed by the American officers, has been approxi- mated by comparing the number that appear in the censuses of the United States, with the number that are reported to have arrived by sea and by lake. The number of Europeans that came through the Canadas and New Brunswick, by land, has been approximately determined, by comparing the numbers that are shown by the European emigration reports to have gone to the British Provinces, with the numbers of Europeans that were found there at their several censuses. Making1 deductions for the probable mortality, the surplus is supposed to have passed into the United States. From all these records, estimates and calculations, the numbers of immigrants and of their survivors living, in the United States, were determined as follow : Table II. Immigrants Arriving. Immigrants Surviving. Period. Number. Year. Number. 1790 to 1800 50,000 1800 44,282 1800 — 1810 70,000 . 1810 96,725 1810 — 1820 114,000 1820 176,825 1820— 1830 200,000 1830 315,830 1830 — 1840 682,112 1840 859,202 1840 — 1850 1,711,161 1850 2,240,535 1850 — 18G0 2,766,495 1860 4,136,175 1800— 1870 2,424,390 1870 5,566,546 1790 — 1870 8,018,158 10 PROGRESS OF POPULATION Thus it is seen that 8,018,158 strangers from abroad were added to the population of the United States, within the eighty years preceding 1871. Of these, 434,000 arrived in the first half of the period, 2,393,273 in the next twrenty years, 1830 to 1850, and 5,190,885 or 64 per cent, of the whole number, came since 1850. No separate account of the foreigners living in the United States was taken at any of the enumerations previous to 1850. The nationality of all was inquired, at that and the subsequent censuses. The numbers of survivors at the decennial years 1800 to 1850, were calculated on a rate of 2.4 per cent, annual mortality. The results of the calculation fell short only 0.19 per cent, of the actual numbers found by the enumeration, in 1850. The mortality of these foreigners was 2.625 per cent, in the period 1850 to 1860, and 2.2 per cent, from 1860 to 1870. Increase of Foreigners. The increase o£ foreigners, during each decade, is determined by subtracting the numbers found at the beginning, from those present at the end of the period. Subtracting this increase of foreigners from the total increase © © in each period, as shown in Table III., gives the natural increase or excess of births over deaths. The basis of natural increase includes not only the numbers of those who were living at the beginning of each period, but also the immigrants after their arrival, whose families added their proportion to this growth. The number of foreigners thus added to this basis of increase was as many tenths of the arrivals as the average number of years of their chance of life, before it should end. As in the period, 1810 to 1820, there were 114,000 arrivals, distributed in equal numbers, through all the years, averaging five years chance of life, before 1820; therefore 57,000 or five tenths of the arrivals were added to 4,306,446, the number of whites living in 1810, which gives us 4,363,446 the basis of increase, in the next following decade. But as a OF THE UNITED STATES. 11 larger proportion of the arrivals, in the period, 1860 to 1870, were in the later years, they averaged only 4.32 years chance of life, in this period, therefore 1,047,336, or 4.32 tenths of the arrivals, are added to the 26,922,537 living in 1860, to complete the basis of natural increase in that decade. The number and rate of decennial natural increase is deter- mined in the following table : Table III. Increase of Natural Increase. Period. Foreigners. Basis. Number. Rate. 1790 to 1800 44,282 3,197,006 1,090,158 34.09 1800 — 1810 52,443 4,3G3,446 1,503,179 34.45 1810 — 1820 80,100 5,919,073 1,924,148 32.50 1820 — 1830 139,005 7,966,341 2,532,032 31.78 1830 — 1840 543,372 10,834,328 3,115,145 28.74 1840 —1850 1,381,333 14,880,359 3,975,840 26.71 1850 — 18G0 1,895,640 20,936,315 5,508,763 26.31 18G0 — 1870 1,430,371 28,004,807 5,179,147 18.49 Increase of Colored Population of African Origin. The Africans were imported, from 1G20 to the end of 1807, without restriction. Probably the importation, during the years 1790 to 1