Thousands have been inspired to begin their own fascinating journey into the past through the First Families of Tennessee, a special heritage program of the East Tennessee Historical Society. Originally a Tennessee Bicentennial project, the First Families of Tennessee was founded in 1993 to honor the state's first residents and to identify their descendants.
The FFT program now has almost 15,000 members, representing descendants from across the United States and in eight foreign nations. FFT is now a permanent ETHS program. Membership is open to anyone who can document descent from an ancestor who was a resident of any part of what is now Tennessee by 1796.
The approved First Families of Tennesse applications are housed in the McClung Historical Collection and constitute the largest collection of material on the state's earliest residents and their families.
Download an application here.