The United States census of 1840 was the sixth census of the United States. Conducted by the Census Office on June 1, 1840, it determined the resident population of the United States to be 17,069,453 – an increase of 32.7 percent over the 12,866,020 persons enumerated during the 1830 census. The total population included 2,487,355 slaves. In 1840, the center of population was about 260 miles (418 km) west of Washington, near Weston, Virginia (now in West Virginia).
Controversy over statistics for mental illness among Northern blacks
The 1840 census was the first that attempted to count Americans who were "insane" or "idiotic". Published results of the census indicated that alarming numbers of black persons living in non-slaveholding States were mentally ill, in striking contrast to the corresponding figures for slaveholding States.
Pro-slavery advocates trumpeted the results as evidence of the beneficial effects of slavery, and the probable consequences of emancipation.[1] Anti-slavery advocates contended, on the contrary, that the published returns were riddled with errors, as detailed in an 1844 report by Edward Jarvis of Massachusetts in the American Journal of the Medical Sciences, later published separately as a pamphlet,[1][2] and in a memorial from the American Statistical Association to Congress, praying that measures be taken to correct the errors.[3]
The memorial was submitted to the House of Representatives by John Quincy Adams, who contended that it demonstrated "a multitude of gross and important errors" in the published returns.[4] In response to the House's request for an inquiry, Secretary of State John C. Calhoun reported that a careful examination of the statistics by the supervisor of the census had fully sustained their correctness.[5][6] The returns were not revised.[7]
number of slaves and free colored persons in six age groups
number of deaf and dumb, by race
number of blind, by race
number of insane and idiotic in public or private charge, by race
number of persons in each family employed in seven classes of occupation
number of schools and number of scholars
number of white persons over 20 who could not read and write
number of pensioners for Revolutionary or military service
Data availability
No microdata from the 1840 population census are available, but aggregate data for small areas, together with compatible cartographic boundary files, can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System. A compendium of data from the sixth census, organized by States, counties, and principal towns is available on the web site of the Census Bureau.
^ abLeon F. Litwack (1958), "The Federal Government and the Free Negro, 1790–1860", Journal of Negro History, 43 (4): 261–78, 263–68, doi:10.2307/2716144, JSTOR 2716144, and sources there cited.
^Edward Jarvis (1844). Insanity Among the Coloured Population of the Free States. Philadelphia: T.K. & P.G. Collins, Printers. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
^Edward Jarvis; William Brigham; J. Wingate Thornton (1844). Memorial of the American Statistical Association Praying the Adoption of Measures for the Correction of Errors in the Returns of the Sixth Census. Public Documents Printed by Order of the Senate of the United States, Second Session of the Twenty-Eighth Congress. Vol. I. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
^John Quincy Adams (1877). Charles Francis Adams (ed.). Memoirs of John Quincy Adams: comprising portions of his diary from 1795 to 1848. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co. pp. 27–28, 61, 119–20. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
^John Caldwell Calhoun; South Carolina General Assembly (1859). Richard K. Crallé (ed.). The Works of John C. Calhoun: Reports and Public Letters. Vol. V. New York: D. Appleton and Company. p. 458. Retrieved May 31, 2013. Calhoun engaged William A. Weaver, the superintendent of the 1840 census, to review the figures and check them against related data from the 1830 census. Ibid. Weaver reported that he had examined "each specification of error" and concluded that the memorialists had themselves erred in their claims. While there doubtless had been minor errors, he said, there had been no glaring methodological mistakes as charged. See William Edwin Hemphill, ed., The Papers of John C. Calhoun: 1845, Columbia: Univ. of South Carolina Press, 1993, vol. 21, p. 156.
^"Library Bibliography Bulletin 88, New York State Census Records, 1790-1925". New York State Library. 1981. Note that several pages on U.S. federal web sites incorrectly assert that the 1840 census questionnaire closely followed that from the 1830 census, which did not include questions concerning mental illness.
^Includes population in the future state of West Virginia
^Between 1790 and 1860, the state of West Virginia was part of Virginia; the data for this state reflects the present-day boundary.
^The District of Columbia is not a state but was created with the passage of the Residence Act of 1790. The territory that formed that federal capital was originally donated by both Maryland and Virginia; however, the Virginia portion was returned by Congress in 1846.
^Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, U.S. Census Bureau, 1998
^. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
"1840 census: False count on insanity showed slavery was good for Blacks" by Peter Whoriskey, The Washington Post, October 17 2020
Compendium of the Enumeration of the Inhabitants and Statistics of the United States . . . from the Returns of the Sixth Census .... (Washington, D.C., 1841)
Overview of the 1840 Census on www.census.gov.
1840 U.S. Federal Census - Online Records and Indexes on www.cyndislist.com (21 Links) Includes links to sites with any or all of the following: digitized images, indexes, transcriptions, extractions, abstracts, and partial or whole copies of census materials.
January 26, 2023
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The United States census of 1840 was the sixth census of the United States Conducted by the Census Office on June 1 1840 it determined the resident population of the United States to be 17 069 453 an increase of 32 7 percent over the 12 866 020 persons enumerated during the 1830 census The total population included 2 487 355 slaves In 1840 the center of population was about 260 miles 418 km west of Washington near Weston Virginia now in West Virginia 1840 United States census 1830 June 1 1840 1840 06 01 1850 Seal of the United States Census BureauGeneral informationCountryUnited StatesResultsTotal population17 069 453 32 7 Most populous wbr stateNew York2 428 921Least populous wbr stateDelaware78 085This was the first census in which A state recorded a population of over two million New York A city recorded a population of over 300 000 New York Multiple cities recorded populations of over 100 000 New York Baltimore and New Orleans Contents 1 Controversy over statistics for mental illness among Northern blacks 2 Census questions 3 Data availability 4 State rankings 5 City rankings 6 References 7 External linksControversy over statistics for mental illness among Northern blacks EditThe 1840 census was the first that attempted to count Americans who were insane or idiotic Published results of the census indicated that alarming numbers of black persons living in non slaveholding States were mentally ill in striking contrast to the corresponding figures for slaveholding States Pro slavery advocates trumpeted the results as evidence of the beneficial effects of slavery and the probable consequences of emancipation 1 Anti slavery advocates contended on the contrary that the published returns were riddled with errors as detailed in an 1844 report by Edward Jarvis of Massachusetts in the American Journal of the Medical Sciences later published separately as a pamphlet 1 2 and in a memorial from the American Statistical Association to Congress praying that measures be taken to correct the errors 3 The memorial was submitted to the House of Representatives by John Quincy Adams who contended that it demonstrated a multitude of gross and important errors in the published returns 4 In response to the House s request for an inquiry Secretary of State John C Calhoun reported that a careful examination of the statistics by the supervisor of the census had fully sustained their correctness 5 6 The returns were not revised 7 Census questions EditThe 1840 census asked these questions 8 Name of head of family Address Number of free white males and females in five year age groups to age 20 in 10 year age groups from 20 to 100 100 years and older number of slaves and free colored persons in six age groups number of deaf and dumb by race number of blind by race number of insane and idiotic in public or private charge by race number of persons in each family employed in seven classes of occupation number of schools and number of scholars number of white persons over 20 who could not read and write number of pensioners for Revolutionary or military serviceData availability EditNo microdata from the 1840 population census are available but aggregate data for small areas together with compatible cartographic boundary files can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System A compendium of data from the sixth census organized by States counties and principal towns is available on the web site of the Census Bureau State rankings EditRank State Population01 New York 2 428 92102 Pennsylvania 1 724 03303 Ohio 1 519 46704 Virginia 9 1 464 33405 Tennessee 829 21006 Kentucky 779 82807 North Carolina 753 41908 Massachusetts 737 69909 Georgia 691 39210 Indiana 685 86611 South Carolina 594 39812 Alabama 590 75613 Maine 501 79314 Illinois 476 18315 Maryland 470 01916 Missouri 383 70217 Mississippi 375 65118 New Jersey 373 30619 Louisiana 352 41120 Connecticut 309 97821 Vermont 291 94822 New Hampshire 284 574X West Virginia 10 224 53723 Michigan 212 26724 Rhode Island 108 83025 Arkansas 97 57426 Delaware 78 085X Florida 54 477X Iowa 43 112X District of Columbia 11 33 745X Wisconsin 30 945City rankings EditRank City State Population 12 Region 2016 13 01 New York New York 312 710 Northeast02 Baltimore Maryland 102 313 South03 New Orleans Louisiana 102 193 South04 Philadelphia Pennsylvania 93 665 Northeast05 Boston Massachusetts 93 383 Northeast06 Cincinnati Ohio 46 338 Midwest07 Brooklyn New York 36 233 Northeast08 Northern Liberties Pennsylvania 34 474 Northeast09 Albany New York 33 721 Northeast10 Charleston South Carolina 29 261 South11 Spring Garden Pennsylvania 27 849 Northeast12 Southwark Pennsylvania 27 548 Northeast13 Washington District of Columbia 23 364 South14 Providence Rhode Island 23 171 Northeast15 Kensington Pennsylvania 22 314 Northeast16 Louisville Kentucky 21 210 South17 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 21 115 Northeast18 Lowell Massachusetts 20 796 Northeast19 Rochester New York 20 191 Northeast20 Richmond Virginia 20 153 South21 Troy New York 19 334 Northeast22 Buffalo New York 18 213 Northeast23 Newark New Jersey 17 290 Northeast24 St Louis Missouri 16 469 Midwest25 Portland Maine 15 218 Northeast26 Salem Massachusetts 15 082 Northeast27 Moyamensing Pennsylvania 14 573 Northeast28 New Haven Connecticut 12 960 Northeast29 Utica New York 12 782 Northeast30 Mobile Alabama 12 672 South31 New Bedford Massachusetts 12 087 Northeast32 Charlestown Massachusetts 11 484 Northeast33 Savannah Georgia 11 214 South34 Petersburg Virginia 11 136 South35 Springfield Massachusetts 10 985 Northeast36 Norfolk Virginia 10 920 South37 Allegheny Pennsylvania 10 089 Northeast38 Smithfield Rhode Island 9 534 Northeast39 Hartford Connecticut 9 468 Northeast40 Lynn Massachusetts 9 367 Northeast41 Detroit Michigan 9 102 Midwest42 Roxbury Massachusetts 9 089 Northeast43 Nantucket Massachusetts 9 012 Northeast44 Bangor Maine 8 627 Northeast45 Alexandria District of Columbia 8 459 South46 Lancaster Pennsylvania 8 417 Northeast47 Reading Pennsylvania 8 410 Northeast48 Cambridge Massachusetts 8 409 Northeast49 Wilmington Delaware 8 367 South50 Newport Rhode Island 8 333 Northeast51 Portsmouth New Hampshire 7 887 Northeast52 Wheeling Virginia 14 7 885 South53 Taunton Massachusetts 7 645 Northeast54 Paterson New Jersey 7 596 Northeast55 Worcester Massachusetts 7 497 Northeast56 Georgetown District of Columbia 7 312 South57 Newburyport Massachusetts 7 161 Northeast58 Lexington Kentucky 6 997 South59 Nashville Tennessee 6 929 South60 Schenectady New York 6 784 Northeast61 Fall River Massachusetts 6 738 Northeast62 Warwick Rhode Island 6 726 Northeast63 Portsmouth Virginia 6 477 South64 Dover New Hampshire 6 458 Northeast65 Augusta Georgia 6 403 South66 Lynchburg Virginia 6 395 South67 Gloucester Massachusetts 6 350 Northeast68 Cleveland Ohio 6 071 Midwest69 Dayton Ohio 6 067 Midwest70 Middletown New Jersey 6 063 Northeast71 Nashua New Hampshire 6 054 Northeast72 Columbus Ohio 6 048 Midwest73 Harrisburg Pennsylvania 5 980 Northeast74 Hudson New York 5 672 Northeast75 Auburn New York 5 626 Northeast76 Marblehead Massachusetts 5 575 Northeast77 New London Connecticut 5 519 Northeast78 Wilmington North Carolina 5 335 South79 Augusta Maine 5 314 Northeast80 Plymouth Massachusetts 5 281 Northeast81 Cumberland Rhode Island 5 225 Northeast82 Andover Massachusetts 5 207 Northeast83 Frederick Maryland 5 182 South84 Bath Maine 5 141 Northeast85 Middleborough Massachusetts 5 085 Northeast86 Evesham New Jersey 5 060 Northeast87 Gardiner Maine 5 042 Northeast88 Danvers Massachusetts 5 020 Northeast89 Concord New Hampshire 4 897 Northeast90 Dorchester Massachusetts 4 875 Northeast91 Easton Pennsylvania 4 865 Northeast92 Woodbridge New Jersey 4 821 Northeast93 York Pennsylvania 4 779 Northeast94 Zanesville Ohio 4 766 Midwest95 Beverly Massachusetts 4 689 Northeast96 Danbury Connecticut 4 504 Northeast97 Chicago Illinois 4 470 Midwest98 Carlisle Pennsylvania 4 351 Northeast99 Pottsville Pennsylvania 4 345 Northeast100 Columbia South Carolina 4 340 SouthReferences Edit a b Leon F Litwack 1958 The Federal Government and the Free Negro 1790 1860 Journal of Negro History 43 4 261 78 263 68 doi 10 2307 2716144 JSTOR 2716144 and sources there cited Edward Jarvis 1844 Insanity Among the Coloured Population of the Free States Philadelphia T K amp P G Collins Printers Retrieved May 31 2013 Edward Jarvis William Brigham J Wingate Thornton 1844 Memorial of the American Statistical Association Praying the Adoption of Measures for the Correction of Errors in the Returns of the Sixth Census Public Documents Printed by Order of the Senate of the United States Second Session of the Twenty Eighth Congress Vol I Retrieved May 31 2013 John Quincy Adams 1877 Charles Francis Adams ed Memoirs of John Quincy Adams comprising portions of his diary from 1795 to 1848 Philadelphia J B Lippincott amp Co pp 27 28 61 119 20 Retrieved May 31 2013 Litwack 1958 267 John Caldwell Calhoun South Carolina General Assembly 1859 Richard K Cralle ed The Works of John C Calhoun Reports and Public Letters Vol V New York D Appleton and Company p 458 Retrieved May 31 2013 Calhoun engaged William A Weaver the superintendent of the 1840 census to review the figures and check them against related data from the 1830 census Ibid Weaver reported that he had examined each specification of error and concluded that the memorialists had themselves erred in their claims While there doubtless had been minor errors he said there had been no glaring methodological mistakes as charged See William Edwin Hemphill ed The Papers of John C Calhoun 1845 Columbia Univ of South Carolina Press 1993 vol 21 p 156 Litwack 1958 268 Library Bibliography Bulletin 88 New York State Census Records 1790 1925 New York State Library 1981 Note that several pages on U S federal web sites incorrectly assert that the 1840 census questionnaire closely followed that from the 1830 census which did not include questions concerning mental illness Includes population in the future state of West Virginia Between 1790 and 1860 the state of West Virginia was part of Virginia the data for this state reflects the present day boundary The District of Columbia is not a state but was created with the passage of the Residence Act of 1790 The territory that formed that federal capital was originally donated by both Maryland and Virginia however the Virginia portion was returned by Congress in 1846 Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States 1790 to 1990 U S Census Bureau 1998 Regions and Divisions U S Census Bureau Archived from the original on December 3 2016 Retrieved September 9 2016 Is in present day West VirginiaExternal links Edit 1840 census False count on insanity showed slavery was good for Blacks by Peter Whoriskey The Washington Post October 17 2020 Compendium of the Enumeration of the Inhabitants and Statistics of the United States from the Returns of the Sixth Census Washington D C 1841 Overview of the 1840 Census on www census gov 1840 U S Federal Census Online Records and Indexes on www cyndislist com 21 Links Includes links to sites with any or all of the following digitized images indexes transcriptions extractions abstracts and partial or whole copies of census materials Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1840 United States census amp oldid 1026711784, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
