|
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. Born in South Carolina, 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. He then moved to Kentucky, where he acquired a large farm, and participated in frontier wars against the Miami Indians. Adair became active in Kentucky 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. 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, Adair was forced to resign his seat in the Senate, and 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 town of Adair, Iowa.
|
