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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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