When did the government start keeping vital statistics of people?
Record keeping is not new. Commerce and trade has always been driven by good record keeping. Vital statistics accounts for growth and population. Technology enhances accuracy while creating opportunities to manipulate reporting for political and social purpose. Shipping records of insured cargo and crew are available predating the colonization of North America. Historical records of colonial plantations through contemporary computer generated reports demonstrate the tendency of “We The People” to document vital statistics. Public health services manage the statistics of the less fortunate who frequent facilities for care. More fortunate people who have access to private care are less reported. Children fathered by slave owners with a female mother are counted among the chattel. Only verbal reference is given to rote knowledge of the events.
As long as there have been governments there have been records kept of the people in that country. This goes back more than 1500 years. In 1400 the Pope sent people out to take census as did the rulers. They kept books of names and occupations, ages, sex and many other things. The OSS was a network of agents to battle the enemy in WW2 and had nothing to do with keeping vital statistics.
