James Adair (ca. 1709-ca. 1775) authored what is arguably the most significant eighteenth-century work on the southeastern Indians: The History of the American Indians . . ., published in London in 1775. The book, a cultural and historical study of the Catawbas, Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, and Chickasaws Indians, is based on Adair's first-hand observations derived from his 40-year career as a deerskin trader among several southeastern Indian tribes.

Embroiled in Controversy
When King George's War (1744-48) broke out among the major European powers, Adair became embroiled in one of the most interesting and controversial episodes of his long career—an attempt by South Carolina to lure the Choctaw Indians from their French alliance by initiating a trade partnership with them. The plan was the brainchild of South Carolina governor James Glen and others, who saw in it the potential to both undermine what they perceived as expanding French influence among the Indians and make enormous personal profits. Among other activities, Adair worked (under instructions from Glen) to assist the pro-English Choctaw faction in their efforts against the French. The complicated gambit, which ultimately failed, split the Choctaw towns and resulted in a bitter and costly civil war. Adair's angry condemnation of the underhanded actions by Glen and his trading partners, who failed miserably in their attempts to supply the Choctaw, almost landed the trader in the Charles Town jail, and effectively ended his influence as an advisor and agent. In what was likely a botched attempt to gather evidence against Glen and his partners, Adair visited the French at Fort Toulouse after the war ended. In South Carolina, it was widely reported that he had defected to the enemy, although the French arrested him and were on the verge of sending him to prison in Mobile when he managed to escape. Patronless and deeply in debt, Adair retired to the backcountry and began his history of the failed "Choctaw Revolt" with an eye to clearing his name.

Development of the Book
Adair's career as an Indian trader and agent for South Carolina would make him worthy of historic attention, but it is his book that sets him apart from other notables of the day. By the time the work was published, he had developed it from an event-driven narrative designed to expose his political enemies and salvage his reputation into a complex examination of the origins of the American Indians. The book details important events between the 1740s and the 1770s from the viewpoint of a backcountry settler and merchant, including commentary on land grants and settlement patterns in West Florida and British policies regarding the Indians. It is particularly valuable in documenting the bitter struggle between British and French colonists for control of Indian allies and thus, the southern backcountry. More importantly, Adair's discourse on the origin of the American Indians is the most complete and systematic attempt by an American to discuss the question up to that time—a question of prime importance among intellectuals of Adair's day. His central thesis, which dominates the text and has subsequently caused many to dismiss the contents, includes 23 arguments purporting to demonstrate that the American Indians are of Hebrew descent (the Lost Tribes of Israel). But as modern scholars have observed, although Adair's central thesis is flawed, the evidence he presents and his sincere effort at comparative analysis of cultures has resulted in an astounding work on southeastern Indian culture, examining in detail such topics as gender roles, religion, warfare, marriage customs, and language. More importantly, Adair's intense focus on matters of ritual purity has influenced the interpretative framework developed by modern anthropologists and ethnohistorians. Moreover, although Adair wrote in emotional and condemnatory tones regarding his political enemies, for the most part, his characterization of the events is largely confirmed by other sources.
Additional Resources
Braund, Kathryn E. Holland. "James Adair: His Life and History." In James Adair, The History of the American Indians. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2005, pp. 1-53.
Additional Resources
Braund, Kathryn E. Holland. "James Adair: His Life and History." In James Adair, The History of the American Indians. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2005, pp. 1-53.
Hudson, Charles. "James Adair as Anthropologist." Ethnohistory 24 (Fall 1977): 311–28.