View of the Hebrews

Ethan Smith’s argument, published in 1823 and enlarged in 1825, that the American Indians are descended from the lost tribes of Israel. Its four chapters recount the destruction of Jerusalem, the promised restoration of Judah and Israel, the present state of Judah and Israel, including the evidence the author gathers for Hebrew origins among the native peoples of America, and an address of the prophet Isaiah to the United States about their restoration. An appendix answers objections.

The title page reads “View of the Hebrews; or the Tribes of Israel in America … By Ethan Smith, pastor of a church in Poultney, (Vt.) Second edition, improved and enlarged. Published and printed by Smith & Shute, Poultney, (Vt.) 1825.” In the preface, dated Poultney, April 1, 1825, the author says the second edition was prompted by the importance of the question “Where are the Ten Tribes of Israel?”, the quick sale of the first edition, and considerable additional evidence about the origin of the American Indians, drawn from sources including Hunter’s Narrative and Baron Humboldt on New Spain. The preface is followed by printed recommendations: a certificate of the Pawlet Association, three newspaper review extracts, and letters from the Rev. Jabez B. Hyde and the Rev. Dr. Alexander Proudfit, all read here.

The text is the Wikisource transcription, which says its source document is not known. It was checked against the Internet Archive’s scan of the 1825 edition (item viewofhebrewsort00smit): about 70 transcription errors were corrected, including the author’s own printed errata, and the bracketed references and page numbers the transcription carried, which are not in the 1825 book, were removed. The preface and recommendations were transcribed from the scan. Chapter III is divided into six parts, following the book’s contents and its numbered arguments. Four longer notes are read at the end of Chapter IV under “Notes”; eleven short ones appear as small numbers you can tap. The copyright notice, contents page, list of authorities and errata list are not read. The book is read exactly as printed, in the language of 1825, including its period terms for Native Americans and for Jews.