U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for Jan. 16

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16: AMERICA IN 1860

Profile America — Saturday, January 16th.  The national census this April will be the 23rd time this once-a-decade count has been conducted since 1790.  The eighth census in 1860 profiled a nation on the brink of Civil War.  There were almost 31.5  million residents of the 33 states. Three of the largest cities in the U.S. were in New York — New York City, Brooklyn and Buffalo.  In the decade to follow, the Civil War wreaked unimaginable havoc on the nation, Russia sold Alaska to the U.S., and the Pony Express briefly sped mail on horseback to the West Coast.  At decade's end, rail lines from coast-to-coast were symbolically linked.  You can learn more about the census in U.S. history online at 2010.census.gov.

Sources:  U.S. Census Bureau, Through the Decades

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look under the "Newsroom" button).  

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau