Our Founding Fathers and the Intrusive Federal Government

We all know the Founding Fathers didn't like government and wanted as little of it as possible.  Right?

It's completely ridiculous for the government to worry about things like energy efficient light bulbs and toilets. Right?

If you agree, you might look at this document from the National Archives. As they say:

List A includes dwellings situated on two acres or less and valued at more than $100. You will find the name of the occupant, the name of the owner, dimensions of the dwelling and any outbuildings, the type of construction, the number of windows and lights, and the value of the dwelling.

No, it's not from 2009, but 210 years earlier.