The U.S. Census Bureau is commemorating 250 years of America by highlighting key historical censuses that have tracked the nation's population, values, and societal changes. For 236 of the country's 250-year history, the decennial census has been fundamental, with its origins tied to the Constitution's mandate for U.S. House of Representatives apportionment, beginning in 1790.
The inaugural 1790 Census took 18 months to complete, with enumerators manually recording information on any available paper, as no government forms were provided. By the 1830 Census, uniform, printed schedule sheets were introduced, significantly speeding up data collection and tabulation, and age data was collected in 10-year ranges.
Further evolution saw the 1920 Census reveal a major demographic shift from rural to urban areas, with the national population surpassing 100 million. The 1960 Census marked a technological leap, becoming the first to primarily use self-enumeration and process nearly all data with digital computers, reflecting ongoing advancements in how America measures itself.