The History of the American Indians

Abstract

A trader who lived and worked for four decades among Native Americans and became a keen observer of their languages, customs and politics, James Adair (fl.1735–75) studied the Catawba, Cherokee, Muscogee, Chickasaw and Choctaw, compiling extensive ethnographic information. Upon publication in 1775, this work was unique in its treatment of these peoples as well as their interaction with white traders and colonists. The book also propounds a theory, popular at the time, that the ancestors of Native Americans were the lost tribes of Israel; as such it remains a valuable source for the history of this idea. In part autobiographical, the work reflects Adair's involvement in trading, local politics and warfare with the British and French. His observations remain of great interest to scholars of American history and ethnography.

Warfare related trauma at Orendorf, a middle Mississippian site in west‐central Illinois

“…Single or multiple parallel cut marks are common on the frontal, which is the typical starting point (Adair, 1775;Nadean, 1941;Hamperl, 1967). Cut marks may also be present circumferentially around the crown (Owsley and Berryman, 1975;Bridges, 1996;Smith, 2003).…”

Resource abundance constraints on the early post-contact Cherokee population

“…Existing explanations of Cherokee settlement, of which there are at least four grand theories (Gragson and Bolstad, 2007), also derive from a homeostatic premise and inherently ignore both environmental heterogeneity and ecosystem processes. Production theories emphasize the properties of the physical environment related to agriculture or hunting (e.g., Corkran, 1962;Adair, 1974). Force-in-numbers theories emphasize the need for Cherokee towns to be militarily strong by having many able warriors and/or being close to another town that had many able warriors (e.g., Thornton, 1990).…”

“…In southern Appalachia these valleys have widths ranging from 0.2 to 1 km and are typically associated with primary waterways or their larger tributaries. Cherokee towns were typically located in areas with sufficient space for both town structures and agricultural fields, near water and along the most easily traveled terraindall factors identified as important in the placement of Cherokee towns during the early Colonial period (Gragson and Bolstad, 2007;Goodwin, 1977;Adair, 1974). Cherokee towns were not evenly distributed over the entire territory but clumped in the southeast quadrat (Fig.…”

“…1721. Both period and contemporary authors (Goodwin, 1977;Hatley, 1993;Adair, 1974;Gipson, 1939) state that the Cherokee traveled significantly to ensure success in harvesting deer.…”

Common Justice: Vengeance and Retribution in Creek Country

“…Third, the practice of blood revenge, and to a lesser extent retaliation, was essentially a local regulatory procedure making the victim's kin responsible for determining the course of retribution. 8 By the early 1700s, Creek social, political, and economic life was intertwined with the southern English colonies, ensuring regular interaction and, at times, violent conflict. The British colonies of Georgia and South Carolina struggled to resolve interethnic homicides.…”