Vital Statistics: Easy Online Access

The term vital statistics points to the origins of vital records collection in the United States. Although vital statistics were later used for government and tax purposes, their first use had more to do with health issues than anything else.

In the 1800s, physicians concerned about public health pioneered the creation of death records. These early vital records focused on reporting the circumstances surrounding a death, as well as making sure that the remains were disposed of in a sanitary manner. New York City was the pioneer state, requiring that doctors and hospitals fill out death records as early as 1803.

Government eventually began concerning itself with other vital records as well, such as those recording births and marriages. These documents had previously been part of church records before they were included in the records of the county seat of government.

With statewide efforts to standardize vital records collection, such documents also became mandatory requirements under US law.

Vital Statistics: Easy Access to Nationwide Vital Records

Is there a nationwide repository for all vital records? Yes, it's called the US National Archives and Records Administration. The agency has a search engine for all sorts of documents kept by the US government.

Use the vital records search engine at this link to look for the record you need.

The NARA is probably the best place to look if you're unsure as to the details of the vital records you need. But if you can narrow down your search to a specific location, then the best place to look is a state archives web page.

Vital Statistics: Easy Access to State or County Vital Records

The National Center for Health Statistics has a website that has the web address for each state archives web page as well as contact info.

If you want to narrow your search down to a specific country, then use any popular search engine (e.g., Google, Yahoo!, MSN, Firefox, etc.) and simply type in the name of the county and the records you need (e.g., death records).

Vital Statistics: Easy Access to Historical Records

There isn't a uniform way for keeping colonial vital records or older genealogy records across states. Although some states do keep older records at their Vital Statistics offices, which are under the State Health Departments, others leave the task to private archives and genealogy societies.

Some states make it easy, however, and have a complete list of where vital records could be located, whether they're kept by the state government or not. One example is the Maryland State Archives that even tells you if the vital record you want is part of a parish register.

But even if you're state doesn't have a detailed archival web page, you can use any search engine to look for a public library or historical society in the area you're searching in.

Lots of private archives have already published their indexes on the Internet. Although some require membership to begin a search, there are many that allow you to search their vital records repositories and only require that you become a member when you need a copy of a record.

RecordsSiteReview’s Birth Records page contains all the information you need about vital records. Visit the site now.