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John Adair

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For other people named John Adair, see John Adair (disambiguation).
John Adair
File:Adair John.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Kentucky's 7th district
In office
March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833
Preceded byJohn Kincaid
Succeeded byBenjamin Hardin
8th Governor of Kentucky
In office
August 29, 1820 – August 24, 1824
LieutenantWilliam T. Barry
Preceded byGabriel Slaughter
Succeeded byJoseph Desha
United States Senator
from Kentucky
In office
November 8, 1805 – November 18, 1806
Preceded byJohn Breckinridge
Succeeded byHenry Clay
Personal details
Born(1757-01-09)January 9, 1757
Chester County, South Carolina
DiedMay 19, 1840(1840-05-19) (aged 83)
Mercer County, Kentucky
Political partyDemocratic Republican
SpouseKatherine Palmer
ResidenceWhite Hall
ProfessionSoldier
Military service
Branch/serviceSouth Carolina Militia
Kentucky militia
RankBrigadier general
Battles/warsAmerican Revolutionary War
Northwest Indian War
War of 1812

John Adair (January 9, 1757 – May 19, 1840) was an American pioneer, soldier and statesman. He was the seventh governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both the U.S. House and Senate. Adair enlisted in the state militia and served in the Revolutionary War, where he was held captive by the British for a period of time. Following the war, he was elected as a delegate to South Carolina's convention to ratify the United States Constitution.

Adair moved to Kentucky and became active in politics, serving a total of eight years in the state House of Representatives between 1793 and 1803. He served as Speaker of the Kentucky House in 1802 and 1803, and was a delegate to the state's constitutional conventions in 1792 and 1799. He ascended to the United States Senate to fill the seat vacated when John Breckinridge resigned to become Attorney General of the United States. He failed to win a full term in the subsequent election. Adair's promising political career was threatened when General James Wilkinson accused him of being involved in the Burr conspiracy. Although Adair was later cleared of any wrongdoing and Wilkinson was ordered to issue an apology, the negative publicity kept him out of politics for more than a decade.

Adair's participation in the War of 1812 restored his reputation, and he returned to the state House in 1817. His commanding officer in the war, twice governor Isaac Shelby, appointed him adjutant general of the state militia. In 1820, Adair was elected governor on a platform of financial relief for Kentuckians hit hard by the Panic of 1819. His primary measure toward this end was the creation of the Bank of the Commonwealth. Many of his other financial reforms were deemed unconstitutional by the Kentucky Court of Appeals. Following his term as governor, Adair served one term in the United States House of Representatives, but did not run for re-election. He died May 19, 1840 at his farm in Harrodsburg. He is the namesake of several places, including Adair County, Kentucky, Adair County, Missouri, Adair County, Iowa, and the towns of Adairville, Kentucky and Adair, Iowa.

Early life

John Adair was born in Chester County, South Carolina, a son of Scottish immigrants Baron William and Mary (Moore) Adair.[1][2] He was educated at schools in Charlotte, North Carolina.[3] Adair served in the South Carolina militia during the American Revolution, and was held as a prisoner of war by the British.[4] After the war, he was a delegate to the South Carolina convention to ratify the U.S. Constitution.[3]

In 1784, he married Katherine Palmer.[5] They had twelve children, ten of them daughters.[5] In 1788, Adair moved to Mercer County on the Kentucky frontier.[4] He led Kentucky militiamen in the Northwest Indian War against the Miami Confederacy.[3] Adair enrolled as a captain, but was promoted to major under General James Wilkinson, and later to lieutenant colonel under Charles Scott.[2] He fought in several campaigns, and was present at the disastrous defeat by Chief Little Turtle near Fort St. Clair in Ohio.[2]

Political career

Adair was a delegate to the Kentucky constitutional conventions in 1792 and 1799.[6] Upon Kentucky's admission to the Union, he was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1793 to 1795. He would serve in that body again in 1798 and from 1800 to 1803. In 1802 and 1803, he presided as Speaker of the Kentucky House.[3]

Charged with disloyalty

In 1805, Adair became registrar of the United States land office. Later that year, he ascended to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy left when John Breckinridge resigned to become Attorney General.[3] His close association with Aaron Burr during the Burr conspiracy damaged his credibility, and he lost the election for a full term in the next year.[4] He immediately left the Senate, resigning on November 18, 1806.[3]

In December 1806, Adair departed for Louisiana to inspect a tract of land he had purchased. On his arrival in New Orleans, he was arrested on the order of his former commander, James Wilkinson, who charged him with disloyalty. Adair counter-sued, and in a court battle that spanned several years, it was revealed that Wilkinson had no actual evidence against Adair. Wilkinson was ordered to issue a public apology and pay $2,500 in damages to Adair.[7]

Service in the War of 1812

At the outbreak of the War of 1812, former governor Isaac Shelby asked Adair to serve as his aide. Adair rendered commendable service in the Canadian campaign, most notably at the Battle of the Thames in Ontario in 1813. The following year, he led 1,100 Kentucky riflemen in support of General Jackson's expedition that ended with the victory in the Battle of New Orleans. Following the war, Adair spent two years corresponding with Jackson, defending his fellow Kentuckians against Jackson's charge that they had acted in a cowardly manner at the Battle of New Orleans.[8]

Adair's participation in the War of 1812 restored his reputation. On February 10, 1816, the Kentucky General Assembly passed a resolution thanking Adair for his service at the Battle of New Orleans and for his defense of the soldiers accused by Jackson.[9] The voters returned Adair to the state's House in 1817.[3] He was appointed adjutant general of the state's militia and was brevetted to the rank of brigadier general.[3]

Term as governor

A period of land speculation followed the war.[10] In response, the federal government created the Second Bank of the United States.[10] The bank's strict credit policy hit Kentucky hard, and contributed to the financial Panic of 1819.[10] In the gubernatorial election of 1820, Adair ran on a platform of bringing relief to the state's debtors.[6] He was elected over three fellow Democratic Republicans: William Logan, Joseph Desha, and Anthony Butler.[6]

During his term, several banking crises and recession brought the state government near to failure, and many of his administration's actions were related to the state's financial troubles. He oversaw the abolition of the practice of debt incarceration, and sanctioned rigorous gambling legislation.[11] Perhaps the most important measure implemented during Adair's administration was the creation of the Bank of the Commonwealth in 1820. The bank made generous loans and issued paper money. Creditors who refused to accept notes issued by the bank were prohibited from pressing their claims for two years. Many of Adair's other relief measures were struck down as unconstitutional by the Kentucky Court of Appeals, the state's highest court at the time, because they impaired the obligation of contracts.[6] These decisions set the stage for the Old Court-New Court controversy.

Among Adair's accomplishments not directly related to finances were the establishment of the state's university system and endorsement of the Missouri Compromise.[11] He advocated for prison reform and better treatment of the insane.[6] He also oversaw the enactment of a plan for internal improvements, including improved navigation on the Ohio River.[6]

Later life and death

Following his term as governor, Adair spent most of his time on his farm.[6] He did make one more appearance in national affairs, when he was elected to the U.S. House as a Jackson Democrat for the 1831 to 1833 term.[3] During his term, he served on the Committee on Military Affairs.[12] He did not run for re-election.[3]

Adair died at home in Harrodsburg, and was buried on the grounds of his estate, White Hall.[8] In 1872, his grave was moved to the Frankfort Cemetery in the state capital. Adair County, Kentucky, Adair County, Missouri, Adair County, Iowa, and the towns of Adairville, Kentucky and Adair, Iowa were named after John Adair.[13][14]

References

  1. ^ Harrison, p. 1
  2. ^ a b c Smith, p. 168
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Congressional Bio
  4. ^ a b c Collins, et al., pp. 165–166
  5. ^ a b Bussey, p. 26
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Harrison, p. 2
  7. ^ Bussey, pp. 26–27
  8. ^ a b Powell, p. 26
  9. ^ Young, p. 126
  10. ^ a b c Bussey, p. 27
  11. ^ a b NGA Bio
  12. ^ Smith, p. 170
  13. ^ Gannett, p. 16
  14. ^ Eutaek, Jesse James
  • "Adair, John". United States Congress. Retrieved 2007-10-03.
  • Bussey, Charles J. (2004). "John Adair". In Lowell Hayes Harrison (ed.). Kentucky's Governors. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0813123267.
  • Collins, Lewis (1847). History of Kentucky. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Euntaek, Hong (2005-09-13). "Jesse James: A Cultural Fighter for Confederacy". OhmyNews. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
  • Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
  • Harrison, Lowell H. (1992). "Adair, John". In Kleber, John E. (ed.). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Associate editors: Thomas D. Clark, Lowell H. Harrison, and James C. Klotter. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0813117720.
  • "Kentucky Governor John Adair". National Governors Association. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
  • Powell, Robert A. (1976). Kentucky Governors. Danville, Kentucky: Bluegrass Printing Company. ASIN B0006CPOVM, OCLC 2690774.
  • Smith, Zachary F. (1904). The Battle of New Orleans, including the previous engagements between the Americans and the British, the Indians, and the Spanish which led to the final conflict on the 8th of January, 1815. John P. Morton & Company.
  • Young, Bennett Henderson (1903). The battle of the Thames, in which Kentuckians defeated the British, French, and Indians, October 5, 1813, with a list of the officers and privates who won the victory. Louisville, Kentucky: J. P. Morton. Retrieved 2008-12-12.

Further reading

  • Gillig, John S. (1984). "In the Pursuit of Truth and Honor: The Controversy Between Andrew Jackson and John Adair in 1817". Filson Club Historical Quarterly. 58: 177–201. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 3) from Kentucky
1805–1806
Served alongside: Buckner Thruston 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Kentucky
1820 - 1824 		Succeeded by
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