Links to Research Databases

A number of useful genealogical databases, including the following for Tennessee:

• TN City Birth Records 1881-1915
• TN City Death Records, 1872-1923
• TN Delayed Birth Records 1869 - 1909
• TN Death Records 1908-1965
• TN Early Tax List Records 1783-1895
• Tennessee, Early Land Registers, 1778-1927
• TN Marriages 1780 - 2002 (incomplete)
• TN Supreme Court Case Index, 1809-1950
• TN Wills and Probate Records 1779 - 2008
• TN 1891 Enumeration of Male Voters
• Census and Voter Lists
• North Carolina and Tennessee, Early Land Records, 1753-1931
• North Carolina and Tennessee, Revolutionary War Land Warrants, 1783-1843

* Access to these databases is available through terminals in the Library & Archives building. Residents of Tennessee can access the indexes and scanned records by going through TEL -- the Tennessee Electronic Library.   Non-residents of Tennessee can access the indexes (only) at Ancestry.com's Tennessee State Library and Archives web page.

A premier collection of genealogy resources, indexes, and scans of records – especially those relating to the military.  While the site includes items such as city directories, Native American Records ( including Eastern Cherokee Applications and the Guion Miller Roll), and Naturalization records, Fold 3 has military records relating to the following:

• Revolutionary War
• War of 1812
• Mexican American War and Early Indian Wars
• Civil War (including Southern Claims Commission)
• Spanish-American War
• World War I
• World War II

* Access to the Fold3 databases is available only through terminals in the Library & Archives building.

  Family Search Genealogy Service, operated by the Church of Latter-day Saints, has many useful Tennessee records, including:

• Tennessee Death Records 1914-1966
• Tennessee Birth Records  1908-1912
• Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications
• Tennessee Probate Court Books 1795-1927
• Tennessee Probate Court Books 1795-1927 (loose)

A comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources—rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids. Sources include:

• Census Records
• City Directories
• Compiled Family History Books
• Freedman's Bank Records
• Native American Census Rolls
• Revolutionary War Pension Files
• US Serial Set 

Indexes and scanned copies of Memphis - Shelby County records such as Shelby County births (1874-1912), deaths (1848-1912), marriages (1820-1970), as well as scanned copies of Memphis City Directories (1859-1943). The site also includes a state-wide Tennessee death index for 1949-2014.

Chart the growth and development of American cities and towns. The maps are large-scale plans, listing street blocks and building numbers, including numbers in use at the time the map was created. This site allows the user to search the maps of more than 100 Tennessee cities.

* Access to the Digital Sanborn Maps database is available only through terminals in the Library & Archives building.

A collection of scanned maps of the state. The section Historical Maps of Tennessee includes several historical depictions of individual counties, an 1800 French map of the Southern United States, and a 1795 map of Tennessee immediately prior to statehood.  The section Civil War Maps has 15 maps that illustrate portions of the state as they appeared between 1861 and 1865.

  Looking Back: The Civil War in Tennessee commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War (2011-2015). The Tennessee State Library and Archives sent teams of archivists and conservators to communities across Tennessee. Digital copies of these items, representing the rich Civil War heritage of Tennessee families, will become part of a virtual exhibit commemorating the 150th anniversary of the war in Tennessee.

 Tennessee Civil War GIS Project integrates data about the Civil War in a user-friendly geographical interface, bringing hundreds of engagements and battles to your screen with aerial photography and modern map layers. It includes 1860 county Census data and unit histories for every Tennessee regiment from Tennesseans in the Civil War. It also features many original maps, documents, diaries, and photographs from Library & Archives' historic collections.

A searchable collection of over 7,000 articles chronicling the Civil War in Tennessee from September 1, 1861, through September 30, 1865.

A collection of nearly 2,000 pamphlets and complete runs of eight newspapers, which document the diverse perspectives of the Civil War Era (1840-1865). This database covers a vast range of topics, including abolition, politics, religious themes, battle casualties, and the effects of the war on citizens, just to name a few.

* Access to the ProQuest Civil War database is available to residents of Tennessee and through terminals in the Library & Archives building.

Nashville Newspapers  (1812 - 2002  and 2002 - present) provides genealogists, researchers, and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society, and events of the time.

*Murfreesboro Newspapers is a full-text searchable collection of 18 newspaper titles from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, representing coverage from 1824 through 2019.  Titles in the database include The Daily News-Journal (1858-2019), The Home Journal (1904-1930), and The Murfreesboro Monitor (1865-1874).

* Access to the Murfreesboro Newspapers online collection is available only through terminals in the Library & Archives building.

*NEW RESOURCE* - The Knoxville News Sentinel is a daily newspaper founded in Knoxville, Tennessee. It covers the news in Knoxville and the surrounding area from the 1880s to today. Audience: Middle School, High School, College/Research, Public, Genealogy

*NEW RESOURCE* -The Memphis Commercial Appeal is a daily newspaper founded in Memphis,Tennessee. It covers the news in Memphis and the surrounding area from the 1840s to today. Audience: Middle School, High School, College/Research, Public, Genealogy

*NEW RESOURCE* - Newspapers.com Southeast Edition provides access to newspapers from the southeast United States including 2000+ historical and recent newspapers in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

 A collection of databases free for all Tennesseans, provides homework help, test preparation, newspapers, and many other resources.

TeVA is a program of the Library & Archives to create a digital repository of Tennessee history and culture. TeVA provides a searchable array of historical records, photographs, documents, maps, postcards, film, audio and other original materials of enduring value.

  Looking Back: The Civil War in Tennessee commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War (2011-2015). The Tennessee State Library and Archives is sending teams of archivists and conservators to communities across Tennessee. Digital copies of these items, representing the rich Civil War heritage of Tennessee families, will become part of a virtual exhibit commemorating the 150th anniversary of the war in Tennessee.

Digital copies of original historical documents marking significant milestones in the formation and early history of the state of Tennessee. The documents also have full transcription and accompanying historical text. Files include the Constitution of Tennessee (1796), the Cumberland Compact, the Donelson Journal, the Constitution of the Cherokee Nation, and King George III's Proclamation of 1763.