Statewide Resources

Authoritative starting points by category. For how-to method, use Research Guides. For local detail, open a county page.

Archives & government

Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA)
Cornerstone free stacks for Tennessee film, manuscripts, and research guides.
Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA)
Digitized photographs, maps, and documents for place context.
Library of Congress
Maps, newspapers, manuscripts.
National Archives (NARA)
Federal series and research guidance for U.S. records.
National Archives at Atlanta
Federal series for the Southeast (court, military context).
TSLA Digital Collections portal
Entry point to digitized TSLA holdings.
TSLA Research Guides
Series-level guides for effective free-stack sessions.

Chattanooga Public Library — Local History
Hamilton County urban research support.
Knox County Public Library — Calvin M. McClung
Major East Tennessee genealogy collection.
Memphis Public Libraries — History
Urban directories and local history for Shelby research.
Nashville Public Library — Special Collections
Metro directories, maps, and local history.

Chronicling America (LOC)
Historic newspaper page images; confirm title runs before citing continuity.
Tennessee State Library — newspapers
Newspaper research paths at the state library.

Chickamauga & Chattanooga NMP
Campaign context — not a vital substitute.
Fort Donelson National Battlefield
River campaign context for Stewart County.
Shiloh National Military Park
Battlefield context for Hardin County research caution.
USCT / Civil War Soldiers database (NPS)
Military identity leads for Civil War research.

Find a Grave
Burial leads only — confirm with sexton books or markers when possible.
Find a Grave — Tennessee
Cemetery memorials statewide.

FamilySearch — Tennessee wiki
Catalog paths, wiki research outline, and film notes.
WorldCat
Locate published county histories and abstracts in libraries.

TNGenWeb
Volunteer county pages and abstracts — verify every cite on film.
USGenWeb Archives — Tennessee
Volunteer deed/vital abstracts; verify book/page on original film.
USGenWeb Archives — Tennessee
Volunteer deed/vital abstracts; verify book/page on original film.

Tennessee Encyclopedia
Place and topic context only — not a substitute for clerk volumes.

East Tennessee Historical Society
First Families and regional research programs.
Tennessee Historical Society
Statewide history programs and research orientation.
Tennessee Genealogical Society
Publications and society research support.

Ancestry — Tennessee (paid)
Paid databases after free stacks; always re-verify film when possible.
MyHeritage (paid)
Optional paid layer; free stacks first.

Bureau of Land Management GLO
Federal land patents (limited TN relevance; useful for migration out).

Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage
Plantation context (leads only) for Davidson-area research.
Tennessee State Museum
Exhibits and education context for state history.

Middle Tennessee State University — Special Collections
Regional manuscripts and university archives.
University of Tennessee Libraries — Special Collections
Manuscripts and rare books for East Tennessee research.
Vanderbilt Special Collections
Manuscripts and regional collections in Nashville.

Start Here: Researching Tennessee Ancestors
A practical path from “I have a name and a place” to records that actually exist in Tennessee.
Counties, Districts & Formation
Why your ancestor is “missing” from a county that did not exist yet—and where to look instead.
Tennessee Archives & Repositories (quick start)
Quick orientation to TSLA, local clerks, and digital portals.
Courthouse visit checklist (Tennessee)
Call ahead, film first, abstract fully.
Burned-county research in Tennessee
When the courthouse burned, rebuild identity with neighbors, newspapers, tax lists, and state substitutes.
Census methodology for Tennessee research
How to work every decade, FAN clubs, and gaps without treating the census as a vital record.
Census Research in Tennessee
Federal schedules, gaps, and how to use census evidence with Tennessee jurisdictions.
Vital Records (Birth, Marriage, Death)
Statewide registration is late—here is how to prove life events in Tennessee.