American Colonies' Population

Population of the American colonies

Year	Population
1625	1,980
1641	50,000
1688	200,000
1702	270,000
1715	435,000
1749	1,000,000
1754	1,500,000
1765	2,200,000
1775	2,400,000

						The colonial population rose to a quarter of a million during the 17th century, and to nearly 2.5 million on the eve of the American revolution.  Perkins (1988) notes the importance of good health for the growth of the colonies: "Fewer deaths among the young meant that a higher proportion of the population reached reproductive age, and that fact alone helps to explain why the colonies grew so rapidly."  There were many other reasons for the population growth besides good health, such as the Great Migration.