This is the original act which provided for the very first taking of the census in 1790, which was passed during the 2nd Session of the First Congress in March of 1790.

Authorizing the First Census - The Significance of Population Data

tudents will analyze excerpts from the 1790 legislation that allowed for the administration of the first decennial census and from the congressional debate on the matter to increase their understanding of the political, economic, and social changes that took place after the American Revolution. They will also use this context to consider the challenges of collecting census data today.