Research in Tennessee Genealogy, Facts and Records Resources

Welcome to the Tennessee family history research page. Here you'll find record collection links, history, and genealogy resources to help you trace your Tennessee ancestors.

With its beautiful scenery and fascinating history, the State of Tennessee attracts a lot of attention from travelers and those looking to relocate, but it is also a place with a huge amount of genealogical interest too. Whether seeking information about African American ancestors, Native American heritage, or details about family land ownership, there is plenty of data available.

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Anderson, Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Cannon, Carroll, Carter, Cheatham, Chester, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Crockett, Cumberland, Davidson, Dekalb, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Fentress, Franklin, Gibson, Giles, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardeman, Hardin, Hawkins, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Loudon, Macon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Maury, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs,  Monroe, Montgomery, Moore, Morgan, Obion, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sullivan, Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Weakley, White, Williamson, Wilson

Tennessee Facts

First visited by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1540, the Tennessee area would later be claimed by both France and England as a result of the 1670s and 1680s explorations of Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet, Sieur de la Salle, and James Needham and Gabriel Arthur. Great Britain obtained the area after the French and Indian Wars in 1763. During 1784–1787, the settlers formed the “state” of Franklin, which was disbanded when the region was allowed to send representatives to the North Carolina legislature. In 1790 Congress organized the territory south of the Ohio River, and Tennessee joined the Union in 1796. See also Tennessee History Page for more Details

Tennessee entered the union as the 16th state on June 1, 1796. It has 95 Counties. The capital is Nashville and the official state website is www.tn.gov/.

Tennessee is bordered by Alabama (south), Arkansas (west), Georgia (southeast), Kentucky (north), Mississippi (southwest), Missouri (northwest), North Carolina (east), Virginia (northeast). It has a land area of 42,146 square miles making it the 36th largest state. The 2010 population was 6,346,105 and the largest cities (2010) are Memphis, 646,889; Nashville - Davidson County (Capital), 1 626,681; Knoxville, 178,874; Chattanooga, 167,674; Clarksville, 132,939; Murfreesboro, 108,755; Jackson, 65,211; Johnson City, 63,152; Franklin, 62,487; Bartlett, 54,613.

Tennessee was named from a Cherokee village in the region that is called "Tanasie." Tennessee's nickname is " The Volunteer State ". The State Motto is " Agriculture and Commerce ".

Tips for Looking for Tennessee Genealogy Information

Successful Tactics for Tennessee Genealogy Projects - Naturally, the first step is to find the information, and this all begins with today’s most common tool for research - the computer. Doing work for Tennessee genealogy projects means using a number of resources available online. Here you can begin gathering data or requesting copies of the materials needed for Tennessee genealogy project.

Of course, this does not mean that ALL resources are available in the electronic format, and many of the archives, libraries and museums are still only offline options to those looking for Tennessee genealogy materials. It is a good idea to become familiar with these resources for Tennessee genealogy, and to learn which are the offline and which can provide you with materials right away through the Internet.

A Modern Method for Tennessee Genealogy Research - Once you are involved in the search, you will see that public records are found in many locations, and are entirely “digitized”. You still need to understand how to the records are categorized to help in your search for Tennessee genealogy materials, and these categories are shown below:

  • Vital Records – these include birth, marriage, divorce and death records from county, state, and national archives. They can also encompass military records, immigration and naturalization details, cemetery or obituary information, census records, newspaper items, and passenger lists and records as well. These tend to be available as online or offline resources for Tennessee genealogy.
  • State Records – this group includes probate information, surname lists, state census information, private manuscripts, newspapers, military or veterans information, marriage details, maps, land records, genealogical folders, estate information, deeds, death records, cemetery information, birth certificates and more. These are available as online and offline resources for Tennessee genealogy.
  • Local Records – state research begins when you visit a county clerk’s office or website. From there you can search historical societies, local genealogical societies, small local libraries, and school or college libraries for Tennessee genealogy information. These are items that are usually offline and viewable by appointment or special arrangement.

The Strongest Tools for Tennessee Genealogy - The computer is the genealogist’s strongest tool and will provide them with direct access to many sources for Tennessee genealogy data. Below are some of the best of resources for Tennessee genealogy:

  • Tennessee Vital Records, 1st Floor, Central Services Building, 421 5th Avenue, North, Nashville, TN 37243; Website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/tennessee.htm . This is an ideal resource for birth, death, marriage and divorce records that you can request via a written notice, or even online.

Additional state and local records can be found at the:

  • Tennessee State Library and Archives, 403 7th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37243; Website: http://www.tn.gov/tsla/Collections.htm . Resources on this site for Tennessee genealogy are extensive and contain all of the vital records, state records, Native American census data, newspapers, name indexes, military records and a tool through which direct questions can be asked to research staff.

Also, consider using the Tennessee Genealogical Society and Online Library at: http://www.tngs.org/.

Finally, these three websites provide state-specific details to those in search of details for Tennessee genealogy projects.

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