The Federal Government did not provide blank printed forms to the U.S. Marshals. Only in Massachusetts were uniform printed forms used that were supplied by the U.S. Marshal at his own expense to his assistants.

In all other states, the assistant marshals used whatever paper was available, so the census returns vary in page length from 4 inches to 3 feet, and some were entered in merchants' account books, journals, or ledgers.

In 1790, the marshals submitted their returns in whatever form they found convenient (and sometimes with added information).

Congress required the format shown below for the 1790 census returns:

The law required "That every person whose usual place of abode shall be in any family on [August 2, 1790], shall be returned as of such family; and the name of every person, who shall be an inhabitant of any district, but without a settled place of residence, shall be inserted in the column of the aforesaid schedule, which is allotted for the heads of families, in that division where he or she shall be on [August 2, 1790], and every person occasionally absent at the time of the enumeration, as belonging to that place in which he usually resides in the United States."

President George Washington had general supervision as head of the U.S. Federal Government.

The U.S. Marshal for each Federal judicial district was responsible for taking the census in his district with the help of assistant marshals whom he appointed. Each took an oath or affirmation that "I will well and truly cause to be made, a just and perfect enumeration and description of all persons resident within my district, and return the same to the President of the United States, agreeably to the directions of an act of Congress, entitled, 'An act providing for the enumeration of the inhabitants of the United States,' according to the best of my ability."

Every person over age 16 was required to cooperate: "That each and every person more than sixteen years of age, whether heads of families or not ... shall be, and hereby is, obligated to render to such assistant [marshal] ... a true account, if required, to the best of his or her knowledge, of all and every person belonging to such family ... on pain of forfeiting twenty dollars...."

The census began on Monday, August 2, 1790, and was finished within 9 months.

In 1790, marshals took the census in the original 13 states; plus the districts of Kentucky, Maine, and Vermont; and the Southwest Territory (Tennessee).

U.S. marshals conducted the 1790 census following rules and directions established in "An Act providing for the enumeration of the Inhabitants of the United States," dated March 1, 1790.

• Name of head of family
• Number of free white males age 16 years and upwards, including head of family
• Number of free white males under 16 years old
• Number of free white females, including head of family
• Number of all other free persons [free African-Americans]
• Number of slaves