Joseph Brant

Joseph Brant was born in 1742 and his Indian name was Thayendanegea. Thayendanegea meaning he who places two bets. Joseph’s father was a sachem of the Iroquois Confederacy, which was to where the Mohawks belonged. Whereas Brant’s mother was not a Mohawk like his father. Brant did become a war chief but never rose to the rank of sachem. His parents were said to live at the Canajoharie castle in New York. Even though his family would have been a consideration and he was the grandson of one of the five chiefs who visited England in 1710, Brant was not a chief by birth. Brant did eventually become a Mohawk Indian chief and served not only as a spokesman but he also served as a Christian missionary and a British military officer during the American Revolution.1
It is said the by the time Brant was thirteen years old, he was understood to be at the battle of Lake George with Sir William Johnson, who was the British superintendent for the northern Indian affairs.2 Brant’s sister, Molly, was said to be married to Sir William Johnson. At this battle, the French were conquered and their commander, Baron Dieskau, was severely injured. Sir William Johnson sent Brant and a number of other people to Moors Charity School for Indians at Lebanon, Connecticut. Shortly after this though, Brant decided to leave the school and serve under Sir William during the French and Indian war. While becoming one of Sir William’s close companions he not only became an interpreter for an Anglican missionary he helped translate the prayer book and Gospel of Mark into the Mohawk language. Brant fought for the British in the seven years’ war and the Pontiacs war. During the revolution, Joseph and his sister, Molly, helped to recruit Iroquois to the British. He also tried reuniting the Iroquois nation which was divided by the Canadian and U.S. border.
After Sir William Johnson died in 1774, his son, Sir John Johnson, took his place. Together Sir John Johnson, Colonel Guy Johnson, Brant