America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers
The Fourth of July: The Nation’s Population Then and Now
The Thirteen British colonies that would become the first of the United States – Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia – declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain on July 4, 1776.
To commemorate the occasion, here’s some patriotic trivia courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau to share with family and friends at your Independence Day festivities.
The first federal census was not conducted until 1790 but the Census Bureau estimates Pennsylvania’s population in 1775 was 302,000 based on counts conducted during the Colonial and Continental periods. The following year, the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, formally asserting separation from British rule and making July 4, 1776, a pivotal point in the nation’s history.
By 2024, Pennsylvania’s population had grown to about 13.1 million, more than 43 times larger, according to Census Bureau estimates.
Continue reading to learn more about:
- The nation’s population
- Patriotic place names
|
