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Tax records vary in content. They may include the name and residence of the taxpayer, description of the real estate, name of original purchaser, description of personal property, number of males over 21, number of school children, slaves, and farm animals. They are usually arranged by date and locality, and they are not normally indexed. Tax records can be used in place of missing land and census records to locate a person’s residence. | Tax records vary in content. They may include the name and residence of the taxpayer, description of the real estate, name of original purchaser, description of personal property, number of males over 21, number of school children, slaves, and farm animals. They are usually arranged by date and locality, and they are not normally indexed. Tax records can be used in place of missing land and census records to locate a person’s residence. | ||
=== Early Tax Lists === | === Early Tax Lists === | ||
The first tax records of Tennessee were created in 1778 while Tennessee was part of North Carolina. | The first tax records of Tennessee were created in 1778 while Tennessee was part of North Carolina. The three classic books to early Tennessee tax lists (Curtis, Sistler,and Creekmore) have very different approaches to their indexing of early Tennessee tax lists. Curtis indexes on a county-wide basis, Sistler state-wide, and Creekmore by militia districts within each county plus additional columns of information from the lists. Ms. Pollyanna Creekmore's additional information about the militia districts within the counties is particularly helpful. Unfortunately, she includes only the one tax year, whereas the other two authors do numerous tax years. | ||
Since no complete censuses exist before 1830, tax records are important for identifying early inhabitants. A good source for early Tennessee tax lists is: | Since no complete censuses exist before 1830, tax records are important for identifying early inhabitants. A good source for early Tennessee tax lists is: | ||
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*Rasmussen, Geoffrey D., compiler. ''East Tennessee Tax Records Index''. 3 volumes. Westminster, Maryland: Heritage Books, Inc., 2005. These three volumes contain index entries for 69,069 persons between 1778-1850 in Washington County - Tennessee's first county. (Family History Library book [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=1224802&disp=East+Tennessee+tax+records+index%20%20&columns=*,0,0 976.897 R42r v. 1/2/3]). | *Rasmussen, Geoffrey D., compiler. ''East Tennessee Tax Records Index''. 3 volumes. Westminster, Maryland: Heritage Books, Inc., 2005. These three volumes contain index entries for 69,069 persons between 1778-1850 in Washington County - Tennessee's first county. (Family History Library book [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=1224802&disp=East+Tennessee+tax+records+index%20%20&columns=*,0,0 976.897 R42r v. 1/2/3]). | ||
The 1778 tax records for Washington County | The 1778 tax records for Washington County contain an accounting of the name of every tithable freeman over 21 years of age, the poll tax, amount of the estate, and the sum to pay. | ||
*Creekmore, Pollyanna. ''Early East Tennessee Taxpayers''. Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1980. Originally appeared as a series of articles in: The East Tennessee Historical Society’s Publications. (Family History Library book [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=61911&disp=Early+east+Tennessee+taxpayers%20%20&columns=*,0,0 976.8 R4cp; film 1486601].) Includes tax lists for 1778–1832, with surname indexes prepared by Frances Maynard and Dorothy Peters. | *Creekmore, Pollyanna. ''Early East Tennessee Taxpayers''. Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1980. Originally appeared as a series of articles in: The East Tennessee Historical Society’s Publications. (Family History Library book [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=61911&disp=Early+east+Tennessee+taxpayers%20%20&columns=*,0,0 976.8 R4cp; film 1486601].) Includes tax lists for 1778–1832, with surname indexes prepared by Frances Maynard and Dorothy Peters. | ||
Eligible voters in Tennessee paid a tax for the privilege of voting. This poll tax was paid by white males, age 21 or over. Since this was an annual tax, the tax lists serve as censuses. Some were used to “reconstruct” the missing 1790 to 1820 federal censuses. They can help you trace the migration of families from county to county between federal censuses. The Family History Library has copies of the tax lists of most counties to the 1890s. Many of the original tax lists from 1778 to 1835 are available at the [[Tennessee State Library and Archives]]. | Eligible voters in Tennessee paid a tax for the privilege of voting. This poll tax was paid by white males, age 21 or over. Since this was an annual tax, the tax lists serve as censuses. Some were used to “reconstruct” the missing 1790 to 1820 federal censuses. They can help you trace the migration of families from county to county between federal censuses. The Family History Library has copies of the tax lists of most counties to the 1890s. Many of the original tax lists from 1778 to 1835 are available at the [[Tennessee State Library and Archives]]. | ||
=== Civil War-Era Tax Lists === | === Civil War-Era Tax Lists === | ||