U.S. Census Office, Urban Population (1898)

This page from the Statistical Atlas of the United States based upon Results of the Eleventh Census, published in 1898 under the direction of Henry Gannett, displays demographic data on urban population in three separate data displays: a table, a stacked bar graph, and a series of line graphs. The table visualizes the increase in the percentage of the urban-dwelling population from 1790 to 1890. At the time, the U.S. Census Office classified an urban area as one with 8,000 or more people (p.16) The stacked bar graph shows both the total and urban population in millions by state or territory in 1890, with the clear bar representing the state or territory's aggregate population in millions and the black bar representing the urban-dwelling portion of the population. The display on the right side of the page is made up of seven line graphs that each display population increases in major cities between 1800 and 1890. Throughout the nineteenth century, urban populations grew exponentially, due in large part to the increase in manufacturing jobs that accompanied industrialization, causing native Americans and immigrants alike to the flock to the cities. This growth was especially clear in the final two decades of the twentieth century, when city populations rose by about 15 million.