The first United States census was conducted in 1790, and occurs every decade according to Article 1, Section 2 of the United States Constitution.
In 1880, the Census Office conducted "A Report of the Social Statistics of Cities." Collecting and publishing this information took the entire 10 years.
The Census Act of 1880 appointed enumerators as the data-collectors for future census reports. Adding machines were used to calculate statistical data for the first time in United States history.
The New Census of the United States - The Electrical Enumerating Mechanism, 1890.
The States and the Serial Set
The Census Office Reports were submitted to Congress and published as two volumes in the United States Congressional Serial Set, which will soon be available for full digital access.
The Serial Set is a collection of journals, reports, and documents from House and Senate proceedings as well as documents from executive departments and independent agencies.
This collection is a valuable part of American history, exploring various perspectives of legislative proceedings and Congressional interests.
The "Social Statistics on Cities" reports demonstrate the type of data desired by Congress, federal perspectives on individual city histories, and particularly insightful information on the daily lives of American citizens in 1880.
There are many city profiles listed in volumes 2148 and 2149 of the United States Congressional Serial Set. We explored 7 city profiles.
H. Misc. Doc. no. 42 pt. 19 at 27 (1880), reprinted in Serial Set Vol. No. 2149. Photo by Geraldine Dávila-González.
Population Statistics
The Census Office recorded population statistics for each city they profiled, categorized by "Sex, Nativity, and Race."
Click on each of the red pushpins to view the census data and observe in population dynamics for these 7 cities, as reported in the Serial Set, in 1880.
Atlanta, Georgia
"Up to the beginning of the civil war the history of Atlanta is but a record of new enterprises and of the introduction of city improvements."
The Bank of Fulton was established in 1856 "with a capital of $125,000." During the Civil War, Atlanta became a military base. Despite the financial crisis of 1873, Atlanta's banks and resources survived and growth soon resumed.¹
Until 1843, Atlanta was known as "Terminus," due to its present-day area serving as railroad depot.
By 1870, Atlanta's population growth was so substantial that the "city charter was amended to empower the establishment and maintenance" of a free-school system.
Ruger, A. Birds eye view of the city of Atlanta, the capitol of Georgia. [St. Louis, Mo, 1871] Map.