The U.S. Constitution is ratified mandating a census.
First census is compiled.
For the first time, the U.S. Census includes questions about social issues such as religion, crime, and poverty. For the first time, the U.S. Census includes questions about personal matters such as income, possessions, and housing. In the late 1780s, delegates from the newly independent American colonies met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to create a government for the nation. The final agreement determined our present system of two senators for every state and a number of representatives based on a state's population. The delegates passed a law stating that the number of representatives would be determined by a national census taken every ten years.