1810 US Census: America by the Numbers | US History and historical demographics | Free & Slave

The 1810 US Census shows a quickly growing population. There are now three states west of the Appalachian Mountains with Ohio joining the Union in 1803.
There were 7.2 million Americans in 1810.
Virginia and New York State nearly have one million residents each.
Pennsylvania has over 800,000 residents.
Kentucky has already matured to a larger state population than many of the older states.
The largest city in the nation is New York City with nearly 100,000 residents.
Philadelphia had over 50,000 residents.
New Orleans in the Orleans territory is one of the largest cities in the nation even though it isn't in a formal state yet.
Charleston, South Carolina is the largest state in the South.
Albany, New York had 11,000 residents in 1810, one of the largest cities in the country.
The Census was required to differentiate between free and slave populations in order to consider the Three-Fifths Compromise in the US Constitution for the tabulation of state representation.
A number of states in the North have abolished slavery. Massachusetts and the district of Maine, as well as New Hampshire and Vermont, have zero slaves in 1810. New Jersey is the only northern state with more slaves than free African Americans, however, that will change by the next census.
Delaware has more free African Americans than enslaved.
Maryland, Tennessee and Virginia show much more slavery in the flatlands where tobacco is grown. The Appalachian Mountain regions have much less slavery.
Virginia has the most slaves of any state in 1810.
Maryland has many slaves, but it also has a large population of free African Americans.
South Carolina has the highest rate of slavery at nearly 50% of the total population.
American territories are quickly growing. The Mississippi Territory contains future Alabama and Mississippi. The Orleans Territory is future Louisiana. The Louisiana Purchase territory includes Arkansas and Missouri.
Tecumseh is gathering warriors in the northwest, where Americans are settling the territories of Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois.
Spanish Florida and British Canada, along with Natives in the west, form boundary challenges for the United States and represent conditions for the War of 1812.
A short film by Jeffrey Meyer

[@smae433]

Thank you for your work. I'm appreciative of your clear and clean presentation with NO idiotic sound track.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you!

[@SirVashtastic]

Good stuff , I like how you show the map without the states boarders , it really captures the terrain of early America

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thanks, I think it looks cleaner to not have the boundaries and it shows the geography (dark green being mountains).

[@josww2]

@5:00 you've got NYC in Boston's location

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Yeah, I goofed that one.

[@josww2]

@@JeffreytheLibrarian love the channel, always happy to see a new video drop!

[@p.c.howard7025]

Very informative video. This helps me understand my family’s migration patterns in the 1800’s

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thanks for watching!

[@goodluck5642]

Love this channel

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you for watching!

[@snapmalloy5556]

Proud Ohioan. Glad to learn that Ohio was established as a free state

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

That is one of Ohio's neat facts, established as a free state.

[@xElbrucex]

Public school didn't teach me much about the time between the Revolutionary and Civil War so this really helps fill in the gaps of my knowledge. So crazy to me that Jersey had slaves at this time, Spain was still chilling down in Florida, and that 40 freakin' percent of Virginia was enslaved and that's not even the highest percentage of southern states!

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

It's a fascinating story! Thank you for watching.

[@dguy0386]

my family lived in what would become West Virginia at this time, but we and other families in the area didn't appear on the national census until 1850, guess the government men didn't go into the mountains far enough to find us

[@larrygrossman8021]

Another great lesson (1 minor error at 5:00).

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thanks for catching it.

[@Squatch_Rider66]

Great presentation. Hard to imagine the country with so few people. Question, were any non African people held in slavery at this time?

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Great question. I think at this time in the nineteenth century, slaves are almost entirely African Americans. In the 17th century, there were large numbers of "indentured servants" from England that were basically slaves, but that had phased out by the 1700s. There were also earlier periods where Native Americans were enslaved.

[@NathanDudani]

​@@JeffreytheLibrarianbAsIcAlLy SlAvEs

[@holeymattress8128]

You labeled New York City were Boston is located.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thanks for catching that.

[@vincent412l7]

Did the Census record (list without counting) Indians not taxed,or were they disregarded?

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Indians not taxed were disregarded in the census count. The US Government did not include them. So, Shawnee Indians in Indiana Territory are not counted in the census of 1810. Another way to think about: the United States was building forts to purposely border out natives, and the army was fighting Indians in the Great Lakes area at this time.

[@expatexpat6531]

Do you know how much of the population growth between the two censuses was powered by immigration vs. home-grown? The rapid population growth in early industrial-revolution England was powered by improved agricultural practices, better diets, living standards, etc., but little to no immigration (possible exception, from Ireland).

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

I think both. The census wasn't tabulating "foreign born" vs. "domestically born" at this time. They just listed how many folks were in a household. But it's likely a combination of high birth rates and lots of immigrants. The western states and New York are showing explosive growth at this time. Immigration would most likely be from the British Isles in 1810, as this predates the massive Irish and German immigration in the middle of the 1800s.

[@automaticmattywhack1470]

Sorry it took me so long to watch this. The blizzard in Omaha had me busy. Do we know of the 36% growth, what was thru immigration and what was thru the birth rate? Great and interesting! Keep 'em coming!

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thanks for watching! I think both. The census wasn't tabulating "foreign born" vs. "domestically born" at this time. They just listed how many folks were in a household. But it's likely a combination of high birth rates and lots of immigrants. Stay warm out there.

[@ArtismSpeaks]

First view. First comment 🤪

[@ArtismSpeaks]

And like 🤓

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thanks!