Joseph Brant was a bridge between his people, the Iroquois Confederation, and the British. Not universally beloved by either side, he was nonetheless the most powerful leader of the Iroquois and guided the confederation in its dealings with the British.

Thayendanegea was born in 1742 on the banks of the Ohio River where his parents had gone on an expedition into Wyandot territory. There is confusion about several things concerning Brant: what his Mohawk name means, where the name Brant came from, and what happened to his father. His father was Tehowaghwengaraghkwin and he was a leading sachem of the Wolf clan of the Mohawks. His father was the son of Sagayeathquapiethtow, one of the four "kings" who were presented to Queen Anne in 1710.

His sister Molly became the mistress of the most powerful man in the Mohawk Valley, Sir William Johnson, and later became Johnson's Mohawk wife when Johnson's wife Catherine died. In 1755, when Brant was 13, he accompanied Johnson on the British expedition to Lake George and later against Fort Niagara, a triumph for Johnson. In 1757, Brant was commissioned Captain in the Royal American Regiment.

In 1761, Johnson sent him, at age 19, to Moor's Charity School for Indians in Lebanon, Connecticut where he studied under Dr. Eleazer Wheelock. This school later became Dartmouth College. He was there for two years, receiving an education that was very beneficial to him throughout his life. He left the school in 1761 to fight in Pontiac's War, when Pontiac, a chief of the Ottawas, led a general uprising of all Western tribes. Brant helped Johnson to persuade the Iroquois not to join Pontiac.

Joseph Brant

About 1768, Brant married Owaisa (Christine) the daughter of an Oneida chief. The couple had two children, Isaac and Christine. Owaisa died seven years later of tuberculosis and, to give his young children a mother, Brant married Owaisa's sister, Onogala (Susannah). She unfortunately died within a year. Isaac always held his mother's death against Brant and came to hate him, although Isaac was Brant's favourite son. Brant remained single until 1775, when he married Catherine Croghan, the daughter of a famous frontiersman, George Croghan, and his Mohawk wife.

In the Revolutionary War, Brant fought with the British and carried the Mohawks with him. Brant feared that the rebels would take the Iroquois lands if they won, which proved to be the case. There was never any love lost between the Iroquois and the Americans and this led to atrocities on both sides. Brant was not blameless. He participated with Butler's Rangers and other groups in various attacks, including one battle at Oriskany Creek. The American commander, General Herkimer, tried to murder Brant, but Brant smelled it out. He set up an ambush for Herkimer and virtually destroyed the American force, mortally wounding Herkimer.

After the war, the Iroquois found themselves without a home land and appealed to the British. Brant negotiated with General Frederick Haldimand, the Governor-General, for a grant of land that turned out to be six miles each side of the Grand River from source to mouth. However, Brant was not universally loved by the Mohawks. A large group of Mohawks elected to move to land at the Bay of Quinte under Chief John Deseronto rather than follow Brant to the Grand River. When the Royal Chapel of the Mohawks was built at what is now Brantford, the communion silver that Queen Anne had given to the original Royal Chapel in the Mohawk Valley was shared between the Grand River Mohawks and the Bay of Quinte Mohawks.

In addition to serving his people in war, Brant served them in religion. He had been converted while in Moor's School and became very devout. He helped to translate the Gospel of St Mark into Mohawk and, with Daniel Claus, translated the Book of Common Prayer into Mohawk.

Brant visited England and had an audience with King George III. There is a story that he refused to kiss the King's hand, saying,"I bow to no man for I am considered a prince among my own people. But I will gladly shake your hand."

Brant was given a personal grant of land at Wellington Square in what is now Burlington. He built a home and spent the last years of his life there. In 1795, he suffered a personal tragedy. His son Isaac had hated him from an early age and this hatred made Isaac into a jealous, uncontrollable drunkard who had murdered a man in a drunken rage. After the murder, Isaac threatened his father, who despite everything still loved his oldest son. Brant went to Isaac's room to try to calm him down but Isaac lunged at him with a knife. Reacting instinctively from a life of war and violence, Brant struck back with his own knife, cutting Isaac in the scalp. If it had been treated, the wound would have been minor, but Isaac, full of hatred, refused to have it treated. The wound became infected and Isaac died a few days later. Brant never really forgave himself, considering that he killed his son.

He died in 1807 at his home in Wellington Square. His last words were, "Have pity on the poor Indians; if you can get any influence with the great, endeavour to do them all the good you can."