1890 United States Census

1890 United States Census
United States Department of the Interior · Public domain · source
Name	1890 United States Census
Country	United States
Date	June 2, 1890
Population	62,979,766
Percent change	+25.5%
Region type	Most populous state
Region	New York
Pop1	6,003,174
Region type2	Least populous state
Region2	Nevada
Pop2	47,355
President	Benjamin Harrison
Director	Robert P. Porter

1890 United States Census. The 1890 United States Census was the eleventh decennial enumeration mandated by the United States Constitution and conducted by the Census Office. Authorized by an Act of Congress signed by President Benjamin Harrison, it was notable for its pioneering use of Herman Hollerith's electric tabulating system, which dramatically sped up data processing. The census revealed a population of 62,979,766, confirming the closing of the American frontier and providing critical data on the nation's rapid urbanization and immigration trends.

Background and authorization

The need for the 1890 census was rooted in constitutional requirements for apportionment of the House of Representatives and the distribution of federal funds. The enabling legislation was passed by the 51st United States Congress and signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison in March 1889. This act expanded the scope of inquiry significantly beyond previous counts, mandating new questions on homeownership, mortgages, and literacy, reflecting growing governmental interest in social and economic conditions. The administration of the census was placed under the Department of the Interior, with Robert P. Porter appointed as Superintendent. The project faced immense logistical challenges due to the nation's geographic expansion following the Louisiana Purchase, the Mexican–American War, and the admission of new states like North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, and Wyoming.

Data collection and methodology

Enumeration began on June 2, 1890, with some 47,000 enumerators visiting households across the country, including territories like Arizona and Oklahoma. The most revolutionary aspect was the adoption of the punch card system invented by Herman Hollerith, a former employee of the Census Office. His electromechanical tabulators, which used cards read by electrical pins, processed data for questions regarding population characteristics, agriculture, and manufacturing. This technology, developed after Hollerith's work on the 1880 United States Census, reduced data processing time from years to months and laid the foundation for his company, which later became part of IBM. The schedule also included controversial questions about race, using categories that reinforced Jim Crow-era distinctions.

Population findings

The census counted a total resident population of 62,979,766, a 25.5 percent increase from the 1880 United States Census. The data confirmed a major demographic shift, with the Superintendent of the Census report famously declaring the frontier line no longer discernible. New York remained the most populous state, while burgeoning cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and St. Louis saw massive growth due to industrialization and immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe. The count documented significant African American populations in Southern states following Reconstruction and recorded the presence of Native American tribes on and off reservations. It also provided the first detailed statistical portrait of Civil War veterans, including those who served in the Union Army and Confederate States Army.

Impact and significance

The demographic findings profoundly influenced federal policy and American society. The apparent end of the frontier, as analyzed by historian Frederick Jackson Turner in his "Frontier Thesis," shaped national identity and expansionist debates. Data on urban concentration informed debates on infrastructure, public health in cities like New York City, and political representation, leading to the Congressional Apportionment Amendment of 1911. The economic data on farms and mortgages provided evidence for Populist movements and informed later Progressive Era reforms. The success of the Hollerith system revolutionized data processing, giving the Census Bureau and private industry like the Pennsylvania Railroad a powerful new tool and catalyzing the development of the information technology sector.

Destruction of records

A catastrophic fire in the basement of the Commerce Department building in Washington, D.C., on January 10, 1921, destroyed the vast majority of the original 1890 census population schedules. Although the fire was initially contained, water damage and subsequent bureaucratic decisions led to the authorized destruction of the damaged records in 1935. This loss, following earlier fires like the Great Chicago Fire, represents one of the greatest tragedies in American archival history, creating a formidable "72-year gap" for genealogists and historians. Only fragments of the original returns, such as some records for Perry County, Alabama, and the extant statistical abstracts published by the Census Office, survive to document this pivotal enumeration.