Daily AncestorWho got named in 1790?
October 4, 2026 · Old handwriting · Past records
An Act providing for the Enumeration of the Inhabitants of the United States, printed bill, 1790 (U.S. Senate, NARA)Today
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[struck out]." The Enumeration
ſhall commence on the firſt Monday in Auguſt next, and ſhall cloſe within
[struck out: ſix] calendar months thereafter : The ſeveral Aſſiſtants ſhall, within the ſaid [struck out: ſix]
months, tranſmit to the Marſhals, by whom they ſhall be reſpectively ap-
pointed, accurate returns of all Perſons, except Indians not taxed, within
their reſpective diviſions ; which returns ſhall be made in a Schedule, diſ-
tinguiſhing the ſeveral families by the names of their Maſter, Miſtreſs, Stew-
ard, Overſeer, or other principal Perſon therein, in manner following, that
is to ſay :
According to this act, whose names would the 1790 census write down?
Correct
Not quite
Read the long s (ſ) as an ordinary s: "diſtinguiſhing the ſeveral families by the names of their Maſter, Miſtreſs". Families were listed under the head's name only, and everyone else was just counted in columns. That is why the 1790 to 1840 censuses rarely name wives and children.
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