1790 Federal Census
The 1790 Federal Census was the first federal census taken in America. It was much different then modern census reports which makes it harder to read and know who lived in the household.
The problem with the 1790 Federal census is that only the head of house is named and all the names in the district are in alphabetical order. This means that you will need to access other records to confirm other family members that lived in the household. Perhaps a state census report or land records would help in that venture.
What the 1790 census does give you is the name of an ancestor, age, and location. This will help confirm whether or not he fought in the Revolutionary War and what records you should seek out. While it is possible that your ancestor moved from their hometown after the revolution it is more likely that they stayed in the same location. After learning where they are located it would be a good idea to contact the local genealogical or historical society and see if they have any records about your ancestor. I will cover that it another section.
The search your ancestor in the 1790 census it is a good idea to begin at Ancestry.com.
Below is an example of a 1790 Census