Joseph Brant was a powerful Mohawk chief that sided with the British during the Revolutionary War. Brant’s Indian name was Thayendanega, which means ‘he places two bets’. His parents were both Mohawk, and his sister went on to marry Sir William Johnson who was the British superintendent of the Northern Indians of America. Sir Johnson was working with the Iroquois and had become quite popular.
He also had worked in conjunction with the Mohawks which would explain how he met Brant’s sister Molly. Brant was a loyalist and through his relationship with Sir Johnson he received favor and protection from the British government, and even garnered a promotion. Brant went to Dartmouth College where he learned to speak and write in English. Brant eventually became the War Chief for the confederacy among the six Indian nations; he also became a Captain in the British Army in charge of the Indians that were loyalists. Later on Brant traveled among other Iroquois villages to gather up support for the British war effort.
**These identifications are in no way a complete background, they are just a quick synopsis and meant to be a tool for quick research.
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