Massachusetts: Jonathan Jackson

Jonathan Jackson was born in Boston, on June 4, 1743, but he 

moved to Newburyport, MA after graduating from Harvard in 

1761.45 Unlike many of his contemporaries, he was not a veteran of 

the American Revolution. Yet, Jackson’s knowledge and personal 

prestige among his regional contemporaries proved to be invaluable 

during the 1790 census. As a resident of Newburyport, Jackson 

established a successful importation business and actively 

participated in local and state politics. When the Revolutionary War

erupted in April 1775, Jackson assisted the cause of American 

independence by outfitting American privateers, selling supplies to 

the Continental army, and using his own finances to help bankroll 

the American war effort.46 Collectively, Jackson’s actions during the 

Revolution demonstrated his commitment to the new nation, 

despite the destruction of his business.

After the war, Jackson continued to participate in local and state politics, but he also sought to 

recoup his financial losses. Initially, Jackson attempted to resurrect his importation business, 

but he was unable to replicate his earlier success. Next, Jackson obtained a commission as 

officer in the federal forces that were tasked with ending Shay’s Rebellion (August 1786–

January 25, 1787). While both of these ventures proved to be unfruitful for Jackson’s financial 

situation, they did help him become the first U.S. marshal for the District of Massachusetts.47

Shortly after his inauguration in April 1789, President Washington received a host of 

applications and visits from people who were interested in securing a position for themselves 

within the new government. At first Jackson planned to lobby the President for the lucrative 

position of Collector of the Revenue. However, after 

learning that Benjamin Lincoln, his friend and former 

commander during Shay’s Rebellion, sought the 

position, he settled for being Massachusetts’s U.S. 

marshal.

48 Position secured, Jackson diligently carried 

out his marshal duties, including overseeing the 

enumeration of Massachusetts.49 

During the 1790 census, Jackson had sixteen different 

deputies with local ties to their respective communities 

working as enumerators.50 Each deputy was paid $1 for every 100 people (in the county/rural 

 

45

 Ibid.

46 Ibid.

47 Ibid.

48 Ibid.

49 Ibid.

50"Assistant marshals for the state [Massachusetts]: 1790," in Heads of Families/1790/A Century of Population 

Growth Massachusetts, Connecticut, & Rhode Island, 2:11. 

1796 map of Massachusetts 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress 

Printed Portrait of Jonathan Jackson, 

1885.

Courtesy of the New York Public 

Library
areas) or 500 people (in the cities).51

 Furthermore, a marshal and the district judge could pay a 

deputy an addition $1 for every 50 people, if they believed it would help complete the census 

within the deadline.52 Perhaps it was the density of Massachusetts’s population, the deputies’ 

local connections, or the fact that Massachusetts had previously conducted state censuses that 

enabled some enumerators, like Samuel Bradford of Boston, to work efficiently and make more 

than three dollars a day.53 

Unlike some other states, the final 1790 schedules for Massachusetts were written on 

standardized forms. As W.S. Rossiter, former Chief Clerk of the Census Bureau (c.1903 - c. 

1913), remarked, “the blanks [for the 1790 Massachusetts returns] were furnished or sold to 

the enumerators by the marshal”.54 Regardless of Rossiter’s insinuation that Jackson may have 

abused his position as marshal for personal gain, Jackson and his deputies counted a total of

378,787 people, making it the most populous state in New England—a status Massachusetts 

still maintains today with a population of 6,902,149 people.

55 56

Upon completing the enumeration, Jackson continued to serve as the U.S. marshal of 

Massachusetts for a couple more years, before accepting a more lucrative federal appointment 

as one of Massachusetts’s three Inspectors of the Revenue.

57

 After completing his career in the 

federal government, Jackson then served as the state treasurer of Massachusetts (1802-1806), 

the treasurer of Harvard University (1807-1810), and the first president of the Boston Bank. 

Jackson died on March 5, 1810, leaving behind children and grandchildren who continued to 

serve Massachusetts and succeeded in law, business, and medicine. In 1902, his greatgrandson, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., became one of the most influential and celebrated

justices on the U.S. Supreme Court, where he served for almost 30 years, before finally retiring 

at the age of 90.58

 

51 Gazette of the United-States. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]), 10 March 1790. Chronicling America: Historic American 

Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030483/1790-03-10/ed-1/seq-1/. 

(Accessed October 16, 2019).

52 Gazette of the United-States. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]), 10 March 1790

53 “History - The First Generation of United States Marshals/The First Marshal of Rhode Island: William Peck”.

W.S. Rossiter, “The First Census of the United States,” pg. 46.

54 W.S. Rossiter, “The First Census of the United States,” pg. 44

55 “Massachusetts”. Return of the whole number of persons within the several districts of the United States: 

according to "An act providing for the enumeration of the inhabitants of the United States," passed March the first, 

one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, pg. 33. PDF. Retrieved from 

https://www.census.gov/content/census/en/library/publications/1793/dec/number-of-persons.html. (Accessed 

October 7, 2019).

56

 “QuickFacts: Massachusetts,” U.S. Census Bureau, last estimated release July 1, 2018, 

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/MA. (Accessed October 7, 2019). 

57 “Spirits, Foreign and Domestic, Communicated to the Congress, November 1, 1791,” American State Papers, NA, 

Finance 1:110. Retrieved from https://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/ampage?collId=llsp&fileName=009/llsp009.db&Page=110. (Accessed October 7, 2019). 

58 “History - The First Generation of United States Marshals/The First Marshal of Massachusetts: Jonathan 

Jackson.”