Research in Alabama Genealogy, Facts and Records Resources

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

Genealogy is an endeavor that many people begin with tremendous enthusiasm, but which an almost equal amount might quickly abandon due to the confusion that often surrounds the pursuit. After all, our family trees have very complex branches, and it takes special tools and lots of effort to uncover the past.

Fortunately, for Alabama genealogy enthusiasts there is an enormous amount of information available online. It is important, however, to understand the different records required.

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Alabama Facts

In 1519, it is believed that a group of Spanish explorers came to Mobile Bay. Another explorer, named Hernando de Soto, came to the territory in 1540. However, it wasn't until 1702 that the first major settlement was founded by the French. It was created at Fort Louis de la Mobile. Then, in 1763, the Treaty of Paris granted the area that is now Alabama to the British. However, when the Revolutionary War took place, the British were forced to give most of Alabama to Spain and the United States. During the Civil War, Alabama was quite important. Montgomery, Alabama was where the Confederacy was formed, and it remained the Confederate capital for quite some time.

Alabama became a Territory on March 3, 1817 and it entered the union as a state on 14 December 1819 as the 22nd state. It has 67 Counties. Alabama has had five capitals during its history. The first was the territorial capital in St. Stephens in 1817, followed by the state convention in Huntsville in 1819, then the first "permanent" capital in Cahaba in 1820. It was then moved to Tuscaloosa in 1826, until moving to its current location in Montgomery in 1846. The official state website is www.alabama.gov.

Alabama is bordered by Florida (south), Georgia (east), Mississippi (west) and Tennessee (north). It has a land area of 52,423 square miles making it the 30th largest state.

Alabama's 2010 population was 4,779,736 and the largest cities (2010) are Birmingham (231,483), Montgomery (200,127), Mobile (191,544), Huntsville (166,313), Tuscaloosa (81,358), Hoover (67,469), Dothan (62,713), Decatur (54,909), Auburn (49,928), Gadsden (37,405). [All pop. number are as of 2005].

Alabama's oldest county is Washington County which was created on June 4, 1800 and Houston County is the youngest which was created on February 9, 1903.

The State name is dirived from the Alabama River by early European explorers and named "Alibamu" after the local Indian tribe. The Nickname is Heart of Dixie, "Yellowhammer State" and the State Motto is "Audemus jura nostra defendere" - We Dare Defend Our Rights.

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Alabama Genealogy Tips & Hints

A Good Beginning for Alabama Genealogy - When you conduct any investigation for Alabama genealogy, regardless of your actual location, you need to consider your resources that are online and "offline". Remember that there is not a lot of smaller town or local archives that have been converted into online digital entities, and that means the first step in any research for Alabama genealogy is to make a list of the different records that you actually can investigate.

This discussion is going to provide you with complete details about the sources available to anyone doing research for Alabama genealogy. First, it is important to know that the basic list that all researchers for Alabama genealogy will use includes:

  • Vital Records – these are documents recording births, marriages, divorces and deaths and are available your county, state, and national archives. You will also find cemetery or obituary information, census records, newspaper items, military records, immigration and naturalization details, passenger lists and records, and more. These are available as online and offline resources for Alabama genealogy. See Also How to Order Alabama Birth , Marriage, Divorce and Death Records
  • State Records – these may have everything from probate information to birth certificates, death records, estate information, marriage details, military or veterans information, land records, state census information, surname lists, genealogical folders, maps, deeds, private manuscripts, newspapers, cemetery information, and so much more. These are available as online and offline resources for Alabama genealogy.
  • Local Records – though these are found mostly with county clerks, you may want to consider historical societies, small local libraries, local genealogical societies, and school or college libraries that will provide you with access to small troves of vitally important information for Alabama genealogy. These are things that are usually offline and viewable by appointment or special arrangement.

Resources for Alabama Genealogy - There is an impressive range of resources for Alabama genealogy. There is also the Alabama Genealogical Society that gives all kinds of useful support for Alabama genealogy work, and they can be found at:

  • Alabama Genealogical Society, Inc. , Samford University Library , AGS Depository and Headquarters , 800 Lakeshore Drive , P.O. Box 2296 , Birmingham, AL 35229-0001; Website: http://algensoc.org/

Lastly, websites such as those listed below will provide state-specific genealogical details that can work wonders for Alabama genealogy enthusiasts.:

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