The Big Head Count

For a variety of reasons, human societies have long had an interest in gathering and analyzing data. Ancient Rome, during both its republican and imperial phases, used census data extensively. One of the first things that the United States did after concluding its war of independence from the British crown was to conduct a nationwide census. The parameters of the census were even written into the U.S. Constitution.

President George Washington handed the taking of the first national census over to the United States Marshals Service, a federal law enforcement agency that had been created only one year earlier and was joined at the hip to the U.S. Department of Justice. The official date of the census was Aug. 2, 1790, and the total population of the United States was determined to be 3,929,214, with Virginia ranking as the most populous state.

Virginia's population was inflated by the immense number of slaves residing there, with 292,627 slaves accounting for 39.1 percent of the total population. By comparison, the 1790 census counted zero slaves in Massachusetts, which was the fourth-most populous state at 378,787 inhabitants. In between were Pennsylvania, with 434,373 inhabitants (including 3,737 slaves); and North Carolina with 393,751 inhabitants (including 100,572 slaves).

The census is still going on today, and we're on the verge of the next one, in 2020. With a presidential election happening at the same time, there will be an immense amount of data in the federal government hopper next year. Government jobs can be subject to the vicissitudes of politics, as we all just learned from the recent shutdown, but there are good federal employment prospects out there for certified IT professionals.

If you'd like to get a piece of the action, then now is a dynamite time to take the first step. You can get access to all of the certification and training courses we offer at a massive discount through Friday. That's right, Washington's Birthday, also known as Presidents Day, has come and gone once again, but the Presidents Day Sale remains in effect for just a few more days. Whether you're feeling patriotic, or just feeling certifiable, take action before it's too late!