Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Adair, James

ADAIR, James, Indian trader and author, lived in the 18th century. He resided among the Indians (principally the Chickasaws and Cherokees) from 1735 to 1775, and in the latter year published his "History of the American Indians." In this he attempted to trace the descent of the Indians from the Jews, basing his assumption upon supposed resemblances between the customs of the two races. At that time such an hypothesis was regarded as visionary, but the idea has since found many supporters, among them being Boudinot in his "Star of the West." Unsatisfactory as are his vocabularies of Indian dialects, they are the most valuable part of his writings.