The Ancestor Hunt has been cataloging and listing links to free online genealogy collections in over 24 different record categories since 2014. These are available for you to view and use via the Resources tab above.
There is a massive amount of genealogy and historical material that can help us researchers as we discover who belongs in our family tree, and more importantly, what is their life story. But much of this genealogical and historical material doesn’t fit nicely into a specific genealogy record category.
As researchers, we should avail ourselves of the types of materials listed below. They definitely will help us in our genealogy and family history research These online resources are available generally at state libraries and archives, larger public libraries, and college and university digital collections. Hence the creation of these lists of links to free online digital archives for the state. I hope they prove useful to you in your pursuit.
Types of Information Available in Digital Archives
- Scrapbooks
- Diaries
- Family Papers, Biographies, and Other Collections
- Letters
- Oral Histories
- Maps
- Bulletins and Newsletters
- Corporate Collections
- Local Community and County Histories
- Photographs and Postcards
- Rare Books and Manuscripts
- Government Publications and Documents
- and Yes, Genealogy Record Collections and Indexes
(Update November 2023)
The Free Online Digital Archives for the state are listed below, preceded by Archives that are available for the region or the country:
Multistate Archives
- A Digital Collection Celebrating the Founding of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU)
- Digital Commons Collections
- Digital Library of Appalachia
- Digital Public Library of America
- Documenting the American South
- Library of Congress Digital Collections
- National Archives Online Exhibits
- PastPerfectOnline Collections
- Smithsonian Digital Library
Alabama Archives
- A Digital Collection Celebrating the Founding of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU)
- Access Genealogy – Alabama
- Alabama A&M University Digital Collections
- Alabama Department of Archives and History
- Alabama Department of Archives and History Digital Collections
- Alabama Historical Association
- Alabama Maps
- Alabama Mosaic
- Alabama State University Digital Collections
- Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
- American History & Genealogy Project – Alabama
- Ancestry Free Index Collections
- Auburn University at Montgomery Digital Collections
- Auburn University Digital Collections
- Auburn University Digital Library
- Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections
- Chronicling America – Alabama
- Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database
- Cyndi’s List – Alabama
- David Rumsey’s Historical Maps
- Dead Fred
- Death Indexes – Alabama
- Digital Commons Collections
- Digital Library of Appalachia
- Digital Public Library of America – Alabama
- Documenting the American South
- Encyclopedia of Alabama
- FamilySearch
- FamilySearch – Alabama Online Genealogy Records
- FamilySearch Catalog
- FamilySearch Wiki – Alabama
- FindAGrave
- Florence-Lauderdale Public Library
- Freedmen’s Bureau Online – Alabama
- Genealogy Trails – Alabama
- Google Books – Alabama
- HathiTrust – Alabama
- Huntsville-Madison County Public Library
- I Dream of Genealogy
- Interment.net – Alabama
- Internet Archive – Alabama
- Jacksonville State University Digital Collections
- LDS Genealogy – Alabama
- Library of Congress Digital Collections
- Linkpendium – Alabama
- Mobile Municipal Archives
- Mobile Public Library
- National Archives and Records Administration
- National Archives at Atlanta
- National Archives Online Exhibits
- National Archives Resources for Genealogists
- Nationwide Gravesite Locator
- New Horizons Genealogy – Alabama
- PastPerfectOnline Collections
- RootsWeb.com
- Samford University Digital Collections
- Sanborn Maps – Alabama
- Smithsonian Digital Library
- The Official Land Records Site
- Troy State University Digital Collections
- Tuskegee University Digital Collections
- University of Alabama – Birmingham Digital Collections
- University of Alabama – Huntsville Digital Collections
- University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa Digital Collections
- University of Alabama Special Collections
- University of Montevallo Digital Collections
- University of North Alabama Archives and Special Collections
- University of South Alabama Digital Collections
- University of West Alabama Digital Collections
- US GenWeb – Alabama
- US GenWeb Archives – Alabama
- Wallace State Community College Library
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!