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### Overview

### Also in this Section:

                          - 2010 Overview
                          - 2000 Overview
                          - 1990 Overview
                          - 1980 Overview
                          - 1970 Overview
                          - 1960 Overview
                          - 1950 Overview
                          - 1940 Overview
                          - 1930 Overview
                          - 1920 Overview
                          - 1910 Overview
                          - 1900 Overview
                          - 1890 Overview
                          - 1880 Overview
                          - 1870 Overview
                          - 1860 Overview
                          - 1850 Overview
                          - 1840 Overview
                          - 1830 Overview
                          - 1820 Overview
                          - 1810 Overview
                          - 1800 Overview
                          - 1790 Overview

## 1860 Overview

### 1860 

James Buchanan was President of the United Stateson Census Day, June 1, 1860.

#### Authorizing Legislation

The 1850 Census Act was the authorizing legislation for the 1860 census.  That act had stipulated that, according to the recommendation of the secretary of the interior, its provisions were to be adhered to for all future decennial censuses if no new authorizing legislation was passed by January 1 of the year in which the census was required.

#### Intercensal Activity

The Census Office, and the position of superintending clerk were abolished in May 1865. A portion of the clerks engaged in census work transferred to the General Land Office, where work of the 1860 census was completed under the direction of the commissioner of the General Land Office.

#### Further Information

                        - A wide variety of historical statistics from this and other decades is available in  **Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970** .  It is available as a  PDF  [74.4MB] or 2-part ZIP file:  Part I  [52.2MB] |  Part II  [66.1MB].
                        - Reports and statistics from the 1860 census .
                        - History and Growth of the United States Census: 1790-1890  [PDF 117MB], by Carroll D. Wright and William C. Hunt.
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Measuring America's People, Places, and Economy

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