Description:

U.S. Census of 1800
[Washington, D.C.], ca. 1801
Indians & Slaves Listed in U.S. Census of 1800 Among More Than 5 Million Americans
Pamphlet/Booklet

A first edition copy of the United States Census of 1800 entitled: "Return of the Whole Number of Persons Within the Several Districts of the United States, According to 'An act providing for the second Census or Enumeration of the Inhabitants of the United States' Passed February the twenty eighth, one thousand eight hundred" ([Washington, D.C.]: Printed [by William Duane] by Order of the House of Representatives, [1801].) A complete copy, including printed messages from President Thomas Jefferson and U.S. Secretary of State James Madison from December 1801 found on the front and back endpapers. Some pages imprinted "Duane, Printer" at bottom. Several pages (the title page and a few pages at the back) are blind-embossed with the name of the Sondley Library (Asheville, North Carolina). The thick griege wrappers with black titling are replacements from the late 20th C. Expected wear to the paper, including toning, scattered foxing, as well as isolated wrinkles, holes, and stains. Minor ghost ink impressions, but still legible and otherwise very good. Partly paginated, approximately pp. 4-70. Folio sized, 10.25" x 17.25" x .25." Ex-Sondley Library, which was largely dispersed in the late 1980s; properly de-accessioned with confirmation.

The U.S. Census of 1800 is extremely scarce on the market, with only a handful of auction listings listed over the last 100 years or so.

The U.S. Census of 1800 provided the federal government with detailed demographic information from 18 different U.S. states and territories in the Northeast, South, and Midwest (included are Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Northwest Territory, and Indiana Territory.) The most populus cities in 1800 were nearly equally distributed between the Northeast and the South, ranked from most to least: New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, and Charleston.

The 1800 Census collected information and displayed it in 13 columns organized by age, sex, emancipation status, and race/ethnicity. There were four over-arching racial categories: "Free White Males," "Free White Females," "All other free persons except Indians not taxed," and "Slaves." Age information was only collected for Free Whites and included age groups up to 10; 11-16; 17-26; 27-45; and, in acknowledgement of shorter life spans, the last catchall category of "45 &c." The 1800 Census revealed that America was an extremely young country: the largest demographic groups were Free White Males and Females under the age of 10.

The 1800 Census showed a 35% increase in national population since the 1790 Census. Specifically, marshals reported a general population of over 5.3 million, with enslaved persons counting over 890,000, or nearly 20% of that total. While the 1800 Census reveals how early Americans easily and reflexively categorized people by race/ethnicity, it also includes some interesting contradictions; take for instance the recapitulation section found for the Eastern District of Virginia, p. 50, which lists Whites, free non-Indians, and Slaves separately, but then provides a total tally of "souls."

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 10.25" x 17.25" x .25"
  • Medium: Pamphlet/Booklet

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

June 4, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000