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JOSEPH BRANT (1742-1807)

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Originally appearing in Volume V04, Page 431 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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JOSEPH See also:BRANT (1742-1807)  , See also:American See also:Indian See also:chief of the See also:Mohawk tribe, known also by his Indian name, THAYENDANEGEA, was See also:born on the See also:banks of the See also:Ohio See also:river in 1742 . In See also:early youth he attracted the See also:attention of See also:Sir See also:William See also:Johnson, who sent him to be educated by Dr Eleazar Wheelock at See also:Lebanon, See also:Conn., in See also:Moor's Indian charity school, in which See also:Dartmouth See also:College had its origin . He took See also:part, on the See also:side of the See also:English, in the See also:French and Indian See also:War, and in 1763 fought with the See also:Iroquois against See also:Pontiac . Subsequently he settled at Canajoharie, or Upper Mohawk See also:Castle (in what is now See also:Montgomery See also:county, New See also:York), where, being a devout churchman, he devoted himself to missionary See also:work, and translated the See also:Prayer See also:Book and St See also:Mark's See also:Gospel into the Mohawk See also:tongue (1787) . When See also:Guy Johnson (1740-1788) succeeded his See also:uncle, Sir William, as See also:superintendent of Indian affairs in 1774, See also:Brant became his secretary . At the outbreak of the War of See also:Independence, he remained loyal, was commissioned See also:colonel, and organized and led the Mohawks and other See also:Indians allied to the See also:British against the settlements on the New York frontier . He took part in the See also:Cherry Valley See also:Massacre, in the attack on Minisink and the expedition of See also:General St Leger which resulted in the See also:battle of See also:Oriskany on the 6th of See also:August 1777 . After the war he discouraged the continuance of Indian warfare on the frontier, and aided the commissioners of the See also:United States in securing See also:treaties of See also:peace with the Miamis and other western tribes . Settling in Upper See also:Canada, he again devoted himself to missionary work and in 1786 visited See also:England, where he raised funds with which was erected the first Episcopal See also:church in Upper Canada . His See also:character was a See also:peculiar See also:compound of the traits of an Indian See also:warrior—with few rivals for daring leadership—and of a civilized politician and diplomat of the more conservative type . He died on an See also:estate granted him by the British See also:government on the banks of See also:Lake See also:Ontario on the 24th of See also:November 1807 . A See also:monument was erected to his memory at See also:Brantford, Ontario, Canada (named in his See also:honour) in 1886 .

See W . L . See also:

Stone, See also:Life of See also:Joseph Brant (2 vols., New York, 1838; new ed., See also:Albany, 1865) ; See also:Edward See also:Eggleston and See also:Elizabeth E . Seelye, Brant and Red Jacket in " Famous American Indians " (New York, 1879) ; and a Memoir (Brantford, 1872) .

End of Article: JOSEPH BRANT (1742-1807)
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Additional information and Comments

Sir William Johnson was a wealthy landowner and loyalist who was also Joseph Brant's brother-in-law. In 1775 he went to England, where he was treated like a celebrity. Joseph met the king and told him that the Mohawks are a free people and must remain so. The king agreed. He assured Joseph that the Mohawks would be given land in Canada when the conflict with the colonists is over and as long as they fought against the colonists. Swearing loyalty to Great Britain, Joseph pledged to support England with 1,500 warriors. During the war, Joseph led four of the six Iroquois nations against the colonists.
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