Joseph Brant
For nearly a decade, he acted as an interpreter for Johnson and his successor in the British Indian Dept, Guy Johnson; aided missionaries in teaching Christianity to the Aboriginal people, and helped translate religious materials into Mohawk. With the outbreak of the AMERICAN REVOLUTION, Brant immediately rallied to the royal cause and visited England in
On his return Brant fought throughout the war with an Aboriginal-Loyalist band. He was greatly admired as a soldier and was commissioned a captain by the British in 1780, but fought as a war chief. Beginning in 1783 and through the mid-1790s Brant worked to form a united confederation of Iroquois and western Aboriginal peoples in order to block American expansion westward. His dream ultimately was undermined by factionalist jealousies among the FIRST NATIONS, by American opposition, and finally by British betrayal.
About 1779 Brant married Catharine, a Mohawk from a prominent family. In May 1784, following the war, Brant led the Mohawk LOYALISTS and other Aboriginal peoples to a large tract of land on the Grand River [Ont] granted them in compensation for their losses in the war. Convinced that Aboriginal people would have to learn white agriculture to survive and thinking that the tract was too small for hunting, Brant wanted to lease or sell land to whites, which would provide an income as well. A complicated controversy with the government over the nature of Aboriginal land tenure then arose; at the same time there was discontent among some of the Grand River Aboriginal people over disposition of the money. In his later years Brant lived quietly in his magnificent house at Burlington Bay in an English style and translated parts of the Bible into Mohawk.
Brant, Joseph
William Berczy, circa 1807, oil on canvas (courtesy NGC/5777).
Author ROBERT S. ALLEN
Links to Other Sites
Joseph Brant Museum
A brief profile of Joseph Brant from the Joseph Brant Museum in Burlington, Ontario.
The Valiants
This Ottawa memorial honours fourteen valiant men and women who gave outstanding wartime service to Canada.
Four Directions Teachings
Elders and traditional teachers representing the Blackfoot, Cree, Ojibwe, Mohawk, and Mi’kmaq share teachings about their history and culture. Animated graphics visualize each of the oral teachings. This website also provides biographies of participants, transcripts, and an extensive array of learning resources for students and their teachers. In English with French subtitles.
NFB: Chiefs
This series is the saga of five great First Nations chiefs -- Sitting Bull, Pontiac, Joseph Brant, Black Hawk and Poundmaker. Their stories form a central drama of the history of the North American continent. Features still photos and video clips. A National Film Board website.
Face to Face: The Canadian Personalities Hall
The Face to Face website presents outstanding Canadians whose contributions have transformed this country. Click on "Personalities" and then scan the photos to access profiles of noteworthy individuals. From the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
Life of Joseph Brant
Read selected pasages from an 1865 book about military activities involving First Nations peoples and European colonialists during the period 1783 to 1795. From Google Books.
Capt. Joseph Brant
This site provides a digitized copy of an 1872 biography of Mohawk leader Capt. Joseph Brant. From archive.org.
Joseph Brant
See page 7 for a brief profile of Joseph Brant in this digitized copy of "A genealogy of the Brant family from Ontarian families." From openlibrary.org.
Red Jacket
See page 51 for a portrait of Red Jacket. Also includes an account of the tenuous relations between Iroquois leaders and British and American officials in the 18th century. From the New York State Museum.
The Iroquois in the War of 1812
See online excerpts from "The Iroquois in the War of 1812," a book that examines the tenuous alliances between the Iroquois and British forces in the early phases of the War of 1812. From Google Books.
RiverBrink Art Museum
The website for the RiverBrink Art Museum, home of the Weir Collection. Click on "Fine Art" to view a painting depicting the "Battle of Queenston Heights" as well as other works of art and historical documents relating to Canada in earlier times. See also "Locations & Links" for an informative and colourful "Historic Sites Brochure."
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ victory in the 1967 Stanley Cup was a singular event. Who would have predicted that it would not happen again?
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