About The Oldest Census in America
One of the most important genealogical and historical documents from early colonial America
The United States Census is a decennial population count and survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The purpose of the census is to gather demographic, social, economic, and housing information about the population of the United States.
The U.S. Constitution mandates the enumeration of the population every ten years to apportion seats in the House of Representatives among the states.The United States was the first nation in history to institute a periodic national census.
The Muster of the Inhabitants of Virginia (1624/1625) is recognized as the first and oldest recorded census in the United States. It is one of the most important genealogical and historical documents from early colonial America. It was essentially a census or population count of the Virginia colony conducted in early 1625, though it's often dated 1624/1625 because it was ordered in 1624.
In June 1624, King James I assumed responsibility for the colony of Virginia after he dissolved the Virginia Company of London. He ordered Virginia's leaders to make a record of the colony's inhabitants and their provisions.
This census-known as the 1624/5 Muster-is the first comprehensive account of households in British North America. In addition, it is the only extant census for seventeenth-century Virginia. A 1623/4 list of the colony's habitants noted who survived the 1622 Indian attack and where they lived. This list did not include details about the relations among the settlers or their ages.
The 1624/5 Muster is a house-to-house survey that contains information about the location of households in Virginia, the individuals in each household and the ties that connected the colony's early residents to one another. The census-takers also made note of each household's provisions, buildings, boats, arms and ammunition, and livestock. The names of individuals who died during 1624 is part of the muster.
The 1624/5 Muster is a house-to-house survey that contains information about the location of households in Virginia, the individuals in each household and the ties that connected the colony's early residents to one another. The census-takers also made note of each household's provisions, buildings, boats, arms and ammunition, and livestock. The names of individuals who died during 1624 is part of the muster.
By the early 1620s, the Virginia Company of London, which had established Jamestown in 1607, was facing serious problems. The colony had suffered devastating losses from disease, starvation, conflicts with Native Americans, and the catastrophic Indian Massacre of 1622, which killed approximately 347 colonists (about a quarter of the English population in Virginia at the time).
King James I was investigating the Virginia Company's management, and the muster was ordered as part of this inquiry to determine exactly who was living in the colony, where they lived, their ages, when they arrived, and what provisions and arms they possessed.
The document provides detailed information about each person in the colony, including: Names of individuals, Age, Date of arrival in Virginia, Which ship they arrived on, Location where they were living (plantation or settlement), Status (free person, servant, etc.), Provisions (food supplies), and Arms and ammunition they possessed.
This muster is invaluable to historians and genealogists because it shows the colony had only about 1,200 people surviving, a stark reminder of the high mortality rate in early Virginia. For many early Virginia families, this is the earliest documentary evidence of their ancestors in America.
It reveals the makeup of colonial society, including servants, planters, and the beginning of the headright system. The inventory of provisions and arms shows how precarious life was in the colony. It documents which areas were settled and how populations were distributed along the James River and other locations.
Virtual Jamestown has created a searchable database of the 1624/5 Muster Records where you can search for individuals by name, ship, household, and other criteria. You can access this at Virtualjamestown.org. Also Internet Archive.