1850 United States Census facts for kids

The United States Census of 1850 was the seventh time the United States counted its people. It finished on June 1, 1850. The census found that 23,191,876 people lived in the United States. This was a big increase of 35.9 percent from the 1840 Census. This total number included 3,204,313 enslaved people.

This was the first census that tried to collect information about every person in every home. This included women, children, and enslaved people. It was also the first time the census asked where people were born.

What is a Census?

A census is an official count of a population. Governments do this to learn how many people live in a country. They also find out where people live and other important facts about them. This information helps the government make decisions. For example, it helps them decide where to build schools or roads.

Why the 1850 Census Was Special

The 1850 Census was very important for a few reasons. Before this, the census mainly counted the head of the household. It also counted how many people were in different age groups. But in 1850, they started listing every single person by name.

This meant they collected details for everyone. This included women, children, and enslaved people. This gave a much clearer picture of the population. It also helped show how families were structured.

Another new question was about a person's place of birth. This helped show where people were moving from. It also showed how different parts of the country were growing.

What the 1850 Census Found

The census showed that the United States was growing very fast. The population jumped by more than one-third in just ten years. This growth was due to new births and people moving to the country.

The census also counted 3,204,313 enslaved people. This number was important for understanding the country's social and economic situation at the time.

How Census Data Was Used

People used the information from the 1850 Census for many reasons. One person who used it was Hinton Rowan Helper. He was an author who wrote a book called The Impending Crisis of the South.

In his book, Helper used the census numbers to talk about the economy of the Southern states. He argued that slavery was holding back the South's economic growth. His book was very well-known and caused a lot of discussion. It showed how census data could be used to support different ideas about the country.