Monday, August 17, 2020

1820 Federal Census: Bovina's first census

The 1820 Federal Census, the fourth federal census, was taken in August 1820, when the Town of Bovina was barely six months old. The population of Bovina in that census was 1267. The population of the United States that year was 9,638,453, which included over 1.5 million slaves. One of those slaves was in Bovina, owned by Alexander Johnson. He’s the only slaveowner in Bovina’s history. Delaware County’s population that year was 26,587, of whom 56 were slaves. Bovina had one “free colored person,” a female under the age of fourteen (the county had 84).


The 1820 census did not list every person. It only listed the head of the household then numbers in that household (the census didn’t record every name until 1850).


The Official census report from Congress provided these statistics of Bovina’s population:

  • Free White Males under ten years – 235
  • Free white males of ten and under sixteen – 106
  • Free white males between sixteen and eighteen – 26
  • Free white males of sixteen and under twenty-six including heads of families – 114
  • Free white males of twenty-six and under forty-five including heads of families – 107
  • Free white males of forty-five and upwards including heads of families – 89
  • Free White females under ten years - 211
  • Free white females of ten and under sixteen - 104
  • Free white females of sixteen and under twenty-six including heads of families – 119
  • Free white females of twenty-six and under forty-five including heads of families – 100
  • Free white females of forty-five and upwards including heads of families – 80
  • Foreigners not naturalized – 141
  • Number of persons engaged in Agriculture – 294
  • Number of persons engaged in Commerce – 0
  • Number of persons engaged in Manufacturer – 24
  • Slaves males fourteen and under twenty-six – 1
  • Free colored persons, females under fourteen years – 1


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