The United States census of 1870 was the ninth United States census. It was conducted by the Census Bureau from June 1, 1870, to August 23, 1871. The 1870 census was the first census to provide detailed information on the African American population, only five years after the culmination of the Civil War when slaves were granted freedom. The total population was 38,925,598 with a resident population of 38,558,371 individuals, a 22.6% increase from 1860.[1]
The 1870 census' population estimate was controversial, as many believed it underestimated the true population numbers, especially in New York and Pennsylvania.[2] This was the first census in which all 100 largest cities recorded populations of over 10,000. This was also the last federal census conducted using the US Marshal Service as enumerators.
The Census Act of 1850 established the primary machinery of the ninth census. The Census Bureau, working within the Department of the Interior, oversaw the recording and tabulation of results gathered by assistant marshals, who were hired and supervised by Federal marshals. Two new structural changes during the 1870 census occurred: marshals had to return the completed population questionnaire to the Census Office in September and penalties for refusing to reply to enumerator questions were extended to encompass every question on the questionnaires.
Census organization
The commonly past-used slave questionnaires were redesigned to reflect the American society after the Civil War. The five schedules for the 1870 census were the following: General Population, Mortality, Agriculture, Products of Industry, and Social Statistics.
The general population saw a 22.6% increase to 38,555,983 individuals in 1870. Charges of an undercount, however, were brought against Francis Amasa Walker, the Superintendent of the 1870 census.
Mortality rates in 1870, in general, decreased as a fraction of the total population by <0.1% from 1860 and by 0.1% from 1850. The lower death rates indicate that the standard of living increased, due to some exogenous factor, over the period of twenty years from 1850 to 1870.[citation needed]
In terms of products of industry, total U.S. wealth increased by 17.3% from 1860 to 1870, to reach an assessed wealth of $14,178,986,732. The four largest state contributors to this wealth were New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, in that order. Most of the wealth was concentrated in the developed Northeast region, as newer territories like Wyoming were beginning to develop their young economies.
The 1870 census was the first of its kind to record the nativity of the American population. This social statistic helped determine which areas were more highly composed of immigrants than native-born Americans. New York City had the most foreign-born individuals, with 419,094 foreigners, who comprised 44.5% of the city's total population. Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco also had a great population of foreigners that made up a significant fraction of their total populations. Therefore, a great ethnic and cultural change was witnessed from 1860 to 1870, as part of the population growth was due to immigrants moving in and a shuffling of residents across state borders.
*The constitutional population excludes the populations of Native Americans "maintaining their tribal relations and living upon Government reservations" and "the newly acquired district of Alaska."[3]
**When considering congressional apportionment, the total state population of the Constitutional population was used.
Census questions
Schedule 1 of the 1870 census collected the following information[4]
Dwelling-houses numbered in the order of Visitation
Families numbered in the order of visitation
Names
Age
Sex
Color
Profession
Value of Real Estate
Value of Personal Estate
Place of Birth (State, Territory, Country)
Father's Birthplace*
Mother's Birthplace*
If born within the year, state month
If married within the year, state month
Attended School within the Year (Y/N)
Cannot Read (Y/N)
Cannot Write (Y/N)
Deaf & dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict
Male Citizens of U.S. of 21 years of age or upwards
Male Citizens of U.S of 21 years of age and upwards where rights to vote is denied on grounds other than rebellion or other crime**[5]
*If born in another country
**This question asked if one's right to vote is being denied due to a legal matter other than rebellion or conviction. Such circumstances included being unable to pay poll taxes, or being unable to pass a literacy test.
Full documentation for the 1870 population census, including census forms and enumerator instructions, is available from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series.
Although Francis Walker, the Superintendent of the 1870 census, defended the quality of the census, arguing that standardized, clear, and statistical approaches and practices were carried out across all regions of the United States, the public at the time was disappointed in the national growth rate and suspected underenumeration. With especially bitter complaints coming from New York and Philadelphia claiming up to a third of the population was not counted, the President made the rare move to order a recount in those areas. While it was thought a large fraction of the population was not counted for being indoors in the wintry cold, newer estimates resulted in only a 2.5% increase in Philadelphia's population and a 2% increase in New York's.
This controversy of the 1870 undercount resurfaced in 1890, when the national growth rate between 1880 and 1890 was discovered to be much lower than it was between 1870 and 1880. Critics then asserted that the 1870 population must have been underenumerated by over 1.2 million people to account for the discrepancy between growth rates; it was presumed that the growth rate in 1880 had to be exaggerated because of the 1870 undercount. Despite the fact that modern investigations have yet to quantify the exact effect of the undercount, most modern social scientists do not believe the undercount was as severe as 1890 investigators assumed. Today most analyzers compare the 1870 undercount to the non-response rates seen in most modern census data.
^US Census Bureau, Census History Staff. "1870 Fast Facts – History – U.S. Census Bureau". www.census.gov. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
^Munroe, James Phinney (1923) A Life of Francis Amasa Walker, Holt, p. 111 Conditions for the work were therefore so adverse that the new superintendent (Walker), with characteristic frankness, repudiated in many instances the results of the Census, denouncing them as false or misleading and pointing out the plain reasons. p. 113 When the appointments of enumerators were made in 1870 the entire lot was taken from the Republican party, and most of those in the South were negroes. Some of the negroes could not read or write, and the enumeration of the Southern population was done very badly. My judgement was that the census of 1870 erred as to the colored population between 350,000 and 400,000
^ abBureau, US Census. "1870 Census: A Compendium of the Ninth Census (June 1, 1870)". www.census.gov. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
^"1870 Federal Census Schedule 1 Form" (PDF). National Archives.
^"1870 Enumerator Instructions (to Assistant Marshals)". IPUMS USA. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
^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.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1870 United States Census.
Hacker, J. David; Ruggles, Steven; Foroughi, Andrea R.; Jarvis, Brad D.; Sargent, Walter L. (1999). "Public Use Microdata Samples of the 1860 and 1870 U.S. Censuses of Population". Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History. Informa UK Limited. 32 (3): 125–133. doi:10.1080/01615449909598933. ISSN 0161-5440.
"Census of Population and Housing – Publications". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
Gibson, Campbell; Lennon, Emily (2011). "Tech Paper 29: Table 19. Nativity of the Population for the 50 Largest Urban Places: 1870 to 1990". Census.gov. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
"1871 U.S Census Report" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau: Contains 1870 Census results{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)[permanent dead link]
Douglas, Marilyn; Yates, Melinda (1981). New York state census records, 1790–1925 : bibliography bulletin 88. New York State Library. OCLC 866298008.
January 26, 2023
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The United States census of 1870 was the ninth United States census It was conducted by the Census Bureau from June 1 1870 to August 23 1871 The 1870 census was the first census to provide detailed information on the African American population only five years after the culmination of the Civil War when slaves were granted freedom The total population was 38 925 598 with a resident population of 38 558 371 individuals a 22 6 increase from 1860 1 1870 United States census 1860 June 1 1870 1870 06 01 1880 Seal of the United States Census BureauGeneral informationCountryUnited StatesResultsTotal population38 925 598 22 6 Most populous wbr stateNew York4 382 759Least populous wbr stateNevada42 941The 1870 census population estimate was controversial as many believed it underestimated the true population numbers especially in New York and Pennsylvania 2 This was the first census in which all 100 largest cities recorded populations of over 10 000 This was also the last federal census conducted using the US Marshal Service as enumerators Contents 1 Census Act of 1850 2 Census organization 3 Census results 4 Census questions 5 Population undercount 6 State and territory populations 6 1 Notes 7 Town populations sorted by population 8 ReferencesCensus Act of 1850 EditThe Census Act of 1850 established the primary machinery of the ninth census The Census Bureau working within the Department of the Interior oversaw the recording and tabulation of results gathered by assistant marshals who were hired and supervised by Federal marshals Two new structural changes during the 1870 census occurred marshals had to return the completed population questionnaire to the Census Office in September and penalties for refusing to reply to enumerator questions were extended to encompass every question on the questionnaires Census organization EditThe commonly past used slave questionnaires were redesigned to reflect the American society after the Civil War The five schedules for the 1870 census were the following General Population Mortality Agriculture Products of Industry and Social Statistics The general population saw a 22 6 increase to 38 555 983 individuals in 1870 Charges of an undercount however were brought against Francis Amasa Walker the Superintendent of the 1870 census Mortality rates in 1870 in general decreased as a fraction of the total population by lt 0 1 from 1860 and by 0 1 from 1850 The lower death rates indicate that the standard of living increased due to some exogenous factor over the period of twenty years from 1850 to 1870 citation needed In terms of products of industry total U S wealth increased by 17 3 from 1860 to 1870 to reach an assessed wealth of 14 178 986 732 The four largest state contributors to this wealth were New York Massachusetts Pennsylvania and Ohio in that order Most of the wealth was concentrated in the developed Northeast region as newer territories like Wyoming were beginning to develop their young economies The 1870 census was the first of its kind to record the nativity of the American population This social statistic helped determine which areas were more highly composed of immigrants than native born Americans New York City had the most foreign born individuals with 419 094 foreigners who comprised 44 5 of the city s total population Philadelphia Chicago St Louis and San Francisco also had a great population of foreigners that made up a significant fraction of their total populations Therefore a great ethnic and cultural change was witnessed from 1860 to 1870 as part of the population growth was due to immigrants moving in and a shuffling of residents across state borders Census results EditPopulation results of the 1870 census True population Total United States 38 925 598States only 38 205 598Territories 720 000Constitutional resident population Total United States 38 558 371States only 38 115 641Territories 442 730White population Total United States 33 589 377States only 33 203 128Territories 386 249African American population Total United States 4 880 009States only 4 835 106Territories 44 903Native American population on reservations Total United States 357 981States only 89 957Territories 268 024Native American population not on reservations Total United States 25 731States only 21 228Territories 4 503Chinese population Total United States 63 199States only 56 124Territories 7 075Japanese population Total United States 55States only 55Territories 0 3 The constitutional population excludes the populations of Native Americans maintaining their tribal relations and living upon Government reservations and the newly acquired district of Alaska 3 When considering congressional apportionment the total state population of the Constitutional population was used Census questions EditSchedule 1 of the 1870 census collected the following information 4 Dwelling houses numbered in the order of Visitation Families numbered in the order of visitation Names Age Sex Color Profession Value of Real Estate Value of Personal Estate Place of Birth State Territory Country Father s Birthplace Mother s Birthplace If born within the year state month If married within the year state month Attended School within the Year Y N Cannot Read Y N Cannot Write Y N Deaf amp dumb blind insane idiotic pauper or convict Male Citizens of U S of 21 years of age or upwards Male Citizens of U S of 21 years of age and upwards where rights to vote is denied on grounds other than rebellion or other crime 5 If born in another country This question asked if one s right to vote is being denied due to a legal matter other than rebellion or conviction Such circumstances included being unable to pay poll taxes or being unable to pass a literacy test Full documentation for the 1870 population census including census forms and enumerator instructions is available from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series Population undercount EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed January 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message Although Francis Walker the Superintendent of the 1870 census defended the quality of the census arguing that standardized clear and statistical approaches and practices were carried out across all regions of the United States the public at the time was disappointed in the national growth rate and suspected underenumeration With especially bitter complaints coming from New York and Philadelphia claiming up to a third of the population was not counted the President made the rare move to order a recount in those areas While it was thought a large fraction of the population was not counted for being indoors in the wintry cold newer estimates resulted in only a 2 5 increase in Philadelphia s population and a 2 increase in New York s This controversy of the 1870 undercount resurfaced in 1890 when the national growth rate between 1880 and 1890 was discovered to be much lower than it was between 1870 and 1880 Critics then asserted that the 1870 population must have been underenumerated by over 1 2 million people to account for the discrepancy between growth rates it was presumed that the growth rate in 1880 had to be exaggerated because of the 1870 undercount Despite the fact that modern investigations have yet to quantify the exact effect of the undercount most modern social scientists do not believe the undercount was as severe as 1890 investigators assumed Today most analyzers compare the 1870 undercount to the non response rates seen in most modern census data State and territory populations EditRank State Territory Population01 New York 4 382 75902 Pennsylvania 3 521 95103 Ohio 2 665 26004 Illinois 2 539 89105 Missouri 1 721 29506 Indiana 1 680 63707 Massachusetts 1 457 35108 Kentucky 1 321 01109 Tennessee 1 258 52010 Virginia 1 225 16311 Iowa 1 194 02012 Georgia 1 184 10913 Michigan 1 184 05914 North Carolina 1 071 36115 Wisconsin 1 054 67016 Alabama 996 99217 New Jersey 906 09618 Mississippi 827 92219 Texas 818 57920 Maryland 780 89421 Louisiana 726 91522 South Carolina 705 60623 Maine 626 91524 California 560 24725 Connecticut 537 45426 Arkansas 484 47127 West Virginia 442 01428 Minnesota 439 70629 Kansas 364 39930 Vermont 330 55131 New Hampshire 318 30032 Rhode Island 217 35333 Florida 187 748X District of Columbia note 1 131 70034 Delaware 125 01535 Nebraska 122 993X New Mexico 91 87436 Oregon 90 923X Utah 86 33637 Nevada 42 941 note 2 X Colorado 39 864X Washington 23 955X Montana 20 595X Idaho 14 999X South Dakota 11 776X Arizona 9 658X Wyoming 9 118X North Dakota 2 405Notes Edit The District of Columbia is not a state but was created with the passage of the Residence Act of 1790 Includes a population of 450 for Rio Virgin County which was located in Nevada but enumerated as part of Utah in the 1870 census Town populations sorted by population EditRank City State Population 6 Region 2016 7 01 New York New York 942 292 Northeast02 Philadelphia Pennsylvania 674 022 Northeast03 Brooklyn New York 396 099 Northeast04 St Louis Missouri 310 864 Midwest05 Chicago Illinois 298 977 Midwest06 Baltimore Maryland 267 354 South07 Boston Massachusetts 250 526 Northeast08 Cincinnati Ohio 216 239 Midwest09 New Orleans Louisiana 191 418 South10 San Francisco California 149 473 West11 Buffalo New York 117 714 Northeast12 Washington District of Columbia 109 199 South13 Newark New Jersey 105 059 Northeast14 Louisville Kentucky 100 753 South15 Cleveland Ohio 92 829 Midwest16 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 86 076 Northeast17 Jersey City New Jersey 82 546 Northeast18 Detroit Michigan 79 577 Midwest19 Milwaukee Wisconsin 71 440 Midwest20 Albany New York 69 422 Northeast21 Providence Rhode Island 68 904 Northeast22 Rochester New York 62 386 Northeast23 Allegheny Pennsylvania 53 180 Northeast24 Richmond Virginia 51 038 South25 New Haven Connecticut 50 840 Northeast26 Charleston South Carolina 48 956 South27 Indianapolis Indiana 48 244 Midwest28 Troy New York 46 465 Northeast29 Syracuse New York 43 051 Northeast30 Worcester Massachusetts 41 105 Northeast31 Lowell Massachusetts 40 928 Northeast32 Memphis Tennessee 40 226 South33 Cambridge Massachusetts 39 634 Northeast34 Hartford Connecticut 37 180 Northeast35 Scranton Pennsylvania 35 092 Northeast36 Reading Pennsylvania 33 930 Northeast37 Paterson New Jersey 33 579 Northeast38 Kansas City Missouri 32 260 Midwest39 Mobile Alabama 32 034 South40 Toledo Ohio 31 584 Midwest41 Portland Maine 31 413 Northeast42 Columbus Ohio 31 274 Midwest43 Wilmington Delaware 30 841 South44 Dayton Ohio 30 473 Midwest45 Lawrence Massachusetts 28 921 Northeast46 Utica New York 28 804 Northeast47 Charlestown Massachusetts 28 323 Northeast48 Savannah Georgia 28 235 South49 Lynn Massachusetts 28 233 Northeast50 Fall River Massachusetts 26 766 Northeast51 Springfield Massachusetts 26 703 Northeast52 Nashville Tennessee 25 865 South53 Covington Kentucky 24 505 South54 Salem Massachusetts 24 117 Northeast55 Quincy Illinois 24 052 Midwest56 Manchester New Hampshire 23 536 Northeast57 Harrisburg Pennsylvania 23 104 Northeast58 Trenton New Jersey 22 874 Northeast59 Peoria Illinois 22 849 Midwest60 Evansville Indiana 21 830 Midwest61 Atlanta Georgia 21 789 South62 New Bedford Massachusetts 21 320 Northeast63 Oswego New York 20 910 Northeast64 Elizabeth New Jersey 20 832 Northeast65 North Providence Rhode Island 20 495 Northeast66 Hoboken New Jersey 20 297 Northeast67 Lancaster Pennsylvania 20 233 Northeast68 Poughkeepsie New York 20 080 Northeast69 Camden New Jersey 20 045 Northeast70 Davenport Iowa 20 038 Midwest71 Saint Paul Minnesota 20 030 Midwest72 Erie Pennsylvania 19 646 Northeast73 St Joseph Missouri 19 565 Midwest74 Wheeling West Virginia 19 280 South75 Norfolk Virginia 19 229 South76 Bridgeport Connecticut 18 969 Northeast77 Petersburg Virginia 18 950 South78 Taunton Massachusetts 18 629 Northeast79 Chelsea Massachusetts 18 547 Northeast80 Dubuque Iowa 18 434 Midwest81 Bangor Maine 18 289 Northeast82 Leavenworth Kansas 17 873 Midwest83 Fort Wayne Indiana 17 718 Midwest84 Springfield Illinois 17 364 Midwest85 Auburn New York 17 225 Northeast86 Newburgh New York 17 014 Northeast87 Norwich Connecticut 16 653 Northeast88 Grand Rapids Michigan 16 507 Midwest89 Sacramento California 16 283 West90 Terre Haute Indiana 16 103 Midwest91 Omaha Nebraska 16 083 Midwest92 Williamsport Pennsylvania 16 030 Northeast93 Elmira New York 15 863 Northeast94 New Albany Indiana 15 396 Midwest95 Augusta Georgia 15 389 South95 Gloucester Massachusetts 15 389 Northeast97 Cohoes New York 15 357 Northeast98 Newport Kentucky 15 087 South99 New Brunswick New Jersey 15 058 Northeast100 Burlington Iowa 14 930 MidwestReferences Edit US Census Bureau Census History Staff 1870 Fast Facts History U S Census Bureau www census gov Retrieved April 28 2019 Munroe James Phinney 1923 A Life of Francis Amasa Walker Holt p 111 Conditions for the work were therefore so adverse that the new superintendent Walker with characteristic frankness repudiated in many instances the results of the Census denouncing them as false or misleading and pointing out the plain reasons p 113 When the appointments of enumerators were made in 1870 the entire lot was taken from the Republican party and most of those in the South were negroes Some of the negroes could not read or write and the enumeration of the Southern population was done very badly My judgement was that the census of 1870 erred as to the colored population between 350 000 and 400 000 a b Bureau US Census 1870 Census A Compendium of the Ninth Census June 1 1870 www census gov Retrieved April 29 2019 1870 Federal Census Schedule 1 Form PDF National Archives 1870 Enumerator Instructions to Assistant Marshals IPUMS USA Retrieved August 27 2019 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 Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1870 United States Census Hacker J David Ruggles Steven Foroughi Andrea R Jarvis Brad D Sargent Walter L 1999 Public Use Microdata Samples of the 1860 and 1870 U S Censuses of Population Historical Methods A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History Informa UK Limited 32 3 125 133 doi 10 1080 01615449909598933 ISSN 0161 5440 Census of Population and Housing Publications U S Census Bureau Retrieved August 27 2019 Gibson Campbell Lennon Emily 2011 Tech Paper 29 Table 19 Nativity of the Population for the 50 Largest Urban Places 1870 to 1990 Census gov Retrieved August 27 2019 1871 U S Census Report PDF U S Census Bureau Contains 1870 Census results a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint postscript link permanent dead link Douglas Marilyn Yates Melinda 1981 New York state census records 1790 1925 bibliography bulletin 88 New York State Library OCLC 866298008 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1870 United States census amp oldid 1133325504, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
