Fort George National Historic Site of Canada
Loyalists
Biographies
Joseph Brant Thayendanegea' (1743 - 1807)
1743- born in Cuyahoga (Cleveland), Ohio Count
- a Mohawk of the Wolf Clan. Both parents had Wyandot (Huron) background
- on the death of his father, mother returned to Canajoharie Castle, Mohawk River, New York Province
Occupation: traditional Mohawk hunter / warrior
- junior war chief in 1775 to major Mohawk war chief at end of Revolution
- educated in English. Served as Guy Johnson's Six Nations' Indian Department secretary in 1775
- devout Anglican, he and Daniel Claus translated the Book of Common Prayer into Mohawk
- led 300 + men in Brant's Volunteers
- major negotiator for British Indian Department and American Government on meetings with Western Indian Tribe
- substantial landowner on Grand River and Burlington, Ontario
1754 - 1763 - junior warrior to principal warrior in defeat of French and submission of the Pontiac Uprising
1775 - left Mohawk Valley with Guy Johnson (cousin of Sir John Johnson), John Butler and went to Montreal
- helped in defence of Montreal against Ethan Allen
- went to England with Guy Johnson as representative of Six Nations
- met the King and Government to present Indian grievances
1776 - arrived at Long Island New York Province with Sir William Howe
- served with distinction at Battle of Long Island
- travelled through rebel region to Indian territory
- recruited throughout Indian settlement for support of British
1777 - organized 300 + white and natives known as Brant's Volunteers
- joined in St. Leger Expedition against Fort Stanwix (Rome N.Y)
- key participant in Battle of Oriskany
1778 - raided extensively on New York frontier
- destroyed German flats on Mohawk River
- prevented atrocities at Cherry Valley Raid
1779 - raids on New York frontiers
- defended against Sullivan / Clinton (rebel) Expedition that destroyed most of the settlements in Indian Territory
1780 - continued raids into enemy territory
- Brant and volunteers assist Sir John Johnson in destruction of grain harvest in Schoharie and Mohawk Valley
- key participant in the Battle of Stone Arabia
1781- operated in Ohio County and out of Detroit (Western outpost)
- built Anglican church near Fort Niagara for native refugees
1782 - Brant's Volunteers help rebuild Fort Ontario, Oswego, N.Y.(Western outposts)
- leads last raid into the Mohawk Valley
1783 - helps calm Indians over peace settlement which ignored their needs and desires
1784 - lead migration of Iroquois and allies into Grand River settlement
- Brant was an advocate of unity amongst the Six Nations and Western Tribes. He sought a confederacy amongst these people but was thwarted by disputes amongst his own people, other nations, Governor Simcoe, and the Canadian and British Governments
1807 - dies in self imposed exile, Burlington Bay.
Back