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List of colonial and pre-Federal U.S. historical population

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The Thirteen Colonies (shown in red) in 1775, with modern borders overlaid

This is a list of colonial and pre-Federal U.S. historical population, as estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau based upon historical records and scholarship.[1] The counts are for total population, including persons who were enslaved, but generally excluding Native Americans. According to the Census Bureau, these figures likely undercount enslaved people.[2] Shaded blocks indicate periods before the colony was established or chartered, as well as times when it was part of another colony.

1610–1690

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Name Date Established 1610 1620 1630 1640 1650 1660 1670 1680 1690
Connecticut 1636 1,472 4,139 7,980 12,603 17,246 21,645
Delaware 1664 185 540 700 1,005 1,482
Georgia 1732
Kentucky 1792
Maine[a] 1662 400 900 1,000
Maryland[b] 1632 583 4,504 8,426 13,226 17,904 24,024
Massachusetts[a][c][d] 1691 506 8,932 14,037 20,082 30,000 39,752 49,504
New Hampshire[d] 1629 500 1,055 1,305 1,555 1,805 2,047 4,164
New Jersey 1664 1,000 3,400 8,000
New York 1664 350 1,930 4,116 4,936 5,754 9,830 13,909
North Carolina[e] 1629 1,000 3,850 5,430 7,600
Pennsylvania 1681 680 11,450
Plymouth[c] 1620 102 390 1,020 1,566 1,980 5,333 6,400 7,424
Rhode Island 1663 300 785 1,539 2,155 3,017 4,224
South Carolina[e] 1629 200 1,200 3,900
Tennessee 1790
Vermont 1777
Virginia[f] 1606 350 2,200 2,500 10,442 18,731 27,020 35,309 43,596 53,046
Total   350 2,302 4,246 25,734 49,368 75,058 111,935 151,507 210,372

1700–1780

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Name 1700 1710 1720 1730 1740 1750 1760 1770 1780
Connecticut 25,970 39,450 58,830 75,530 89,580 111,280 142,470 183,881 206,701
Delaware 2,470 3,645 5,385 9,170 19,870 28,704 33,250 35,496 45,385
Georgia 2,021 5,200 9,578 23,375 56,071
Kentucky 15,700 45,000
Maine[a] 20,000 31,257 49,133
Maryland[b] 29,604 42,741 66,133 91,113 116,093 141,073 162,267 202,599 245,474
Massachusetts[a][c][d] 55,941 62,390 91,008 114,116 151,613 188,000 202,600 235,308 268,627
New Hampshire[d] 4,658 5,681 9,375 10,755 23,256 27,505 39,093 62,396 87,802
New Jersey 14,010 19,872 29,818 37,510 51,373 71,393 93,813 117,431 139,627
New York 19,107 21,625 36,919 48,594 63,665 76,696 117,138 162,920 210,541
North Carolina[e] 10,720 15,120 21,270 30,000 51,760 72,984 110,442 197,200 270,133
Pennsylvania 17,950 24,450 30,962 51,707 85,637 119,666 183,703 240,057 327,305
Rhode Island 5,894 7,573 11,680 16,950 25,255 33,226 45,471 58,196 52,946
South Carolina[e] 5,704 10,883 17,048 30,000 45,000 64,000 94,074 124,244 180,000
Tennessee 1,000 10,000
Vermont 10,000 47,620
Virginia[f] 58,560 78,281 87,757 114,000 180,440 231,033 339,726 447,016 538,004
Total 250,588 331,711 466,185 629,445 905,563 1,170,760 1,593,625 2,148,076 2,780,369

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d For 1660 through 1750, the population count for Maine's counties were included with Massachusetts.
  2. ^ a b Includes territory of modern-day Washington, D.C.
  3. ^ a b c Plymouth became part of Massachusetts in 1691
  4. ^ a b c d From 1641 to 1679, New Hampshire was merged with Massachusetts, although a separate population count was maintained.
  5. ^ a b c d From 1629 to 1712, North Carolina and South Carolina were a single colony, the Province of Carolina.
  6. ^ a b Includes portions of modern-day West Virginia.

References

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  1. ^ Sutherland, Stella H. (1975). "Chapter Z: Colonial and Pre-Federal Statistics (Series Z 1-19: Estimated Population of American Colonies: 1610 to 1780)" (PDF). Bicentennial Edition: Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970, Part 2. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau. p. 1168.
  2. ^ Sutherland 1975, p. 1152.