1850

Questions | Reported Numbers

Census questions as they appeared on the schedule or questionnaire.

Questions Options Appearing on Schedule or Questionnaire Instructions to Marshalls and Assistant Marshalls Column/Question Number

Color
[ De Bow, J.D.B. Statistical View of the United States, Embracing its Territory, Population--White, Free Colored, and Slave--Moral and Social Condition, Industry, Property, and Revenue; the Detailed Statistics of Cities, Towns and Counties; Being a Compendium of the Seventh Census, to which are Added the Results of Every Previous Census, Beginning with 1790, in Comparative Tables, with Explanatory and Illustrative Notes, Based Upon the Schedules and Other Official Sources of Information. A.O.P. Nicholson, Public Printer: Washington, 1854. pp. 15.]

 White, Black, Mulatto, or Domesticated Indian. Free or Slave Under heading 6, entitled "Color," in all cases where the person in white, leave the space blank; in all cases where the person is black, insert the letter B; if mulatto, insert M. [Twenty Censuses: Population and Housing Questions 1790-1980. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1979. pp. 14-15] 6
Place of Birth
[Twenty Censuses: Population and Housing Questions 1790-1980. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1979. pp. 14] 		Counties, Born in State, Born in United States (Maine, New Hampshire, and so on, for all states), Foreign Born (England, And so on, for all foreign states) [De Bow, J.D.B. Seventh Census of the United States: 1850. R. Armstrong, 1853. ppxiii] If born in the State or Territory where they reside, insert the name or initials of the State or Teritory, or the name of the government or country if without the United States.[Twenty Censuses: Population and Housing Questions 1790-1980. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1979. pp. 14] 9

Reported Numbers

From Table XV. Nativities of the Population of the United States. [De Bow, J.D.B. Seventh Census of the United States: 1850. R. Armstrong, 1853. pp. xxxvi.]

States
Total Native
China
Asia
Other Countries
Total Foreign
Unknown
Aggregate
Maine
551,129
3
5
51
31,456
581
583,169
New Hampshire
304,227
--
4
7
13,571
178
317,976
Vermont
280,966
--
7
23
32,831
323
314,120
Massachusetts
830,066
2
31
466
160,909
3,539
994,514
Rhode Island
124,299
--
1
52
23,111
135
147,545
Conneticut
332,525
5
16
57
37,473
794
370,792
New York
2,439,296
34
66
1,941
651,801
6,237
3,097,394
New Jersey
430,441
4
10
66
58,364
528
489,333
Pennsylvania
2,014,619
1
42
361
294,871
2,296
2,*1*,786
Delaware
83968
--
--
35
5,211
63
89,242
Maryland
438,916
1
2
251
53,288
462
492,666
District of Columbia
42,956
1
4
17
4,967
77
48,000
Virginia
926,154
3
4
76
22,394
585
949,133
North Carolina
577,750
2
--
5
2,524
217
580,491
South Carolina
274,813
1
4
50
8,662
48
283,523
Georgia
518,079
--
2
58
5,907
517
524,503
Florida
45,320
--
3
37
2,757
58
48,135
Alabama
420,032
--
--
116
7,638
1,109
428,779
Mississippi
291,114
--
2
110
4,958
576
296,648
Louisiana
205,921
33
17
1,173
66,413
619
272,953
Texas
137,653
--
--
60
16,774
604
154,431
Arkansas
160,345
--
--
50
1,628
824
162,797
Tennessee
755,655
--
3
59
5,740
1,759
763,154
Kentucky
740,881
--
3
133
29,189
1,354
771,424
Ohio
1,757,556
3
6
544
218,512
4,359
1,980,427
Michigan
341,591
1
--
66
54,852
1,211
397,654
Indiana
931,392
--
4
108
54,426
2,598
988,416
Illinois
736,931
1
2
495
110,593
3,946
851,470
Missouri
520,826
--
3
954
72,474
1,322
594,622
Iowa
170,620
--
2
124
21,232
362
192,214
Wisconsin
197,912
--
17
191
106,695
784
305,391
California
69,610
660
117
400
22,358
629
92,597
Territories
Minnesota
4,007
--
--
4
2,048
22
6,077
Oregon
11,992
2
--
57
1,159
143
13,294
Utah
9,355
1
--
12
1,990
9
11,354
New Mexico
59,261
--
--
5
2,063
223
61,547
Total
17,737,578
758
377
8,214
2,210,839
39,154
19,987,571

* Illegible copy.