The Statistics offices and the state building in Uruguay. A study on an early institutional development.1829-1860

Abstract

From various social disciplines, the organization of statistics has  been deemed of importance as a part of the State building process. This analysis is of particular interest with regard to the countries which emerged from independence processes within the 19 th century. In this light, the development of statistics marked an  instrument of image promotion for both the State and the Nation, as well as a tool to attempt to consolidate government functions over territory.
This article focuses on the historical reconstruction of the formation of the statistical bureaucratic apparatus. It proposes the study of the first stages of institutional efforts to build a public statistics apparatus in the Estado Oriental between 1829 and 1860. It also analyzes the advancements and setbacks in the formation of statistical systems in burgeoning offices, identifying the goals and documentation they generated as a response to State demands, primarily shining a light on demographical data.
It is to be hoped this work serves as a contribution to the study of the State building process from an unforeseen perspective in our historiography, as well as to the history of social sciences in Uruguay.