Tennessee, U.S., Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895

This database contains early tax lists from 71 of the 95 counties in Tennessee. Tennessee law did not require that tax lists be kept permanently, so many of the early records have been destroyed. In 1836 many counties sent a copy of their tax lists to the state Treasurer, and most of those have been preserved in the State Library and Archives. The database contains many tax lists for some counties, and just one or two tax lists for others. Use the “Browse this Collection” box to see what is available.

What You Can Find in These Records

The Tennessee tax lists included in this database typically list the names of white males over age 21 and will sometimes provide information about that person's land, slaves, and other property. They also include valuations. They can be useful both for locating an ancestor and providing an idea about his circumstances.

Records available vary by county and year.