Is there a way to access vital records before a state reached statehood, trying

Question:

Is there a way to access vital records before a state reached statehood, trying to get great-great grandma's

birth certificate before the state was a state

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: It depends on the state/territory. In Rhode Island colony, my ancestor's will was a matter of the public record as was his indenture, his release from indenture, and a new indenture, his release from that indenture, and his service to the community.

Birth records are probably also there, but family records were sufficient for my family as they were well kept.

The later territories (Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, etc.) had very good records. Probably the weakest record keeping was in the southern colonies and southern states.