Joseph Brant: Letter to Lord George Germain

Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader who was closely aligned with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. Brant was not born into the upper echelons of Native American society but gained prominence in the Iroquois League—of which the Mohawk were a part—because of his education, charisma, military talents, and connections with British colonial officials. Brant was fluent in English and spoke at least three Iroquoian languages. These skills made him an outstanding diplomat. Having studied at Eleazer Wheelock’s Indian Charity School in Connecticut, he became a political ally of Sir William Johnson, superintendent for Indian Affairs. The alliance between the pair was cemented by Johnson’s marriage to Brant’s sister. At the onset of the American Revolution, Brant led the Mohawks and many Iroquois to side with the British. He raised a band of volunteer guerillas and was successful in a number of irregular operations in New York and along the frontier, earning the unflattering epithet “Monster Brant” from his colonial opponents. Brant was not just a war leader, however. He was also a deft politician. Through his diplomatic efforts in England, was able to advocate for Native Americans’ distinctive concerns. In this letter to British secretary of state Lord George Germain, Brant made it clear to his British allies that Iroquois participation in the American Revolution was based, in part, on the expectation that the British would protect Native homelands from further colonial intrusion. After the American Revolution, Brant continued to exercise great political influence, working as a mediator between Native Americans across the frontier, the British based in Canada, and the new United States.