STANDARDS
NCSS: Time, Continuity, and Change
Social Studies/ELA: Analyze visuals
Fotosearch/Getty Images (1790); Shutterstock.com (Today)
These images show New York City around 1790 (left) and today (right).
JUST THE FACTS
America: Then and Now
This past summer, the United States celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. How has the nation changed since 1776?
Biggest Cities
By number of residents
1790
• New York, New York: 33,000
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 29,000
• Boston, Massachusetts: 18,000
• Charleston, South Carolina: 16,000
• Baltimore, Maryland: 14,000
Today
• New York, New York: 8.6 million
• Los Angeles, California: 3.9 million
• Chicago, Illinois: 2.7 million
• Houston, Texas: 2.4 million
• Phoenix, Arizona: 1.7 million
A Growing Country
Number of people in the United States over time
1790: 3.9 million
1800: 5.3 million
1810: 7.2 million
1820: 9.6 million
1830: 12.9 million
1840: 17.1 million
1850: 23.2 million
1860: 31.4 million
1870: 38.6 million
1880: 50.2 million
1890: 63 million
1900: 76.2 million
1910: 92.2 million
1920: 106 million
1930: 123.2 million
1940: 132.2 million
1950: 151.3 million
1960: 179.3 million
1970: 203.3 million
1980: 226.5 million
1990: 248.7 million
2000: 281.4 million
2010: 308.7 million
2020: 331.4 million
Total People
1776: 2.5 million • Today: 343 million
Sharing Information
Shutterstock.com
1776
News spread by word of mouth or through letters, pamphlets, and newspapers.
Today
News travels instantly through the internet, text messages, phone calls, and emails.
Life Expectancy
1776: 38 Years • Today: 79 Years
Note: Population numbers are rounded and 1776 numbers are estimated. The first U.S. Census, an official count of the population, was conducted in 1790. Indigenous people were not fully included until the 1890 census.
SOURCES: U.S. Census Bureau (graph data, total people, cities); American Antiquarian Society, Pew Research Center (sharing information); inc.com, CDC (life expectancy)
