This is my third post in my “Through The Eyes Of The Loyalists” series, after “Thomas Hutchinson” and “The Unnamed Slave”. In this letter, I will be speaking from the point of view of an Iroquois tribe leader, who made significant contributions to end this war and bring peace. I hope you enjoy this third installment and get to see how the American Revolution affected the northern part North America – Canada.
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Dear Reader,
My name is Thayendanegea. You can call me Joseph Brant. I was the leader of my tribe – the Mohawks, during that terrible disaster of war. The American Revolution. What happened during that time was uncivilized and disheveled. With this letter, I am putting my point forward as a loyalist looking out for my people.
It started back in 1774. Strange men were entering our land. ‘Patriots’, they called themselves. They told us that a war was approaching – they were trying to become a free nation, and there were other men that were trying to keep alliance with the British, though it offered no good. They were trying to convince us to join their side because they would rather see us on the winning side of the war, then have to make enemies with such fine men like myself. All Iroquois leaders, such as myself, gathered in a meeting and came to the decision that we would remain neutral to the war, at least till the beginning, and decide later on who’s side to take. The men told us that they would try to protect any attacks on us, but to decide quickly… or else they wouldn’t be very careful. They then left without a word.
That’s when the war started. I’ve heard many stories – the Boston Tea Party when a bunch of tea was dumped into the sea, tar and feathering, the type of treatment the opposition (also known as loyalists) went through. But as the war continued, I started to see what was best for my people. If America became independent, it would not fare well for the interests of myself and my people. So, we decided to become loyalists. We provided strategic military defence to Britain. It was close to a universal support of us native americans to the loyalist, with a few exceptions.
During my time as a loyalist and the leader of the Mohawks, I was able to convince four of our six Iroquois nations to join the side of the loyalists. I know some people are astonished by how I did that, but all I needed to do was tell the truth. If the Patriots win the war, they will start bringing in different traditions and will not pay any attention to our own traditions and beliefs. They may even wage a war against us separately, even though we were here first. When looking out for my tribe, I saw that joining the loyalists, though it would be hard, would provide the best result for us in the end. That is why I worked hard and encouraged others to side with me. I have also been on several missions, combining the Native American and British forces to put thieves invading Pennsylvania and New York in their place.
I already knew being a loyalist had its risks, so I probably shouldn’t have been so surprised when those scumbag patriots invaded Iroquois territory and began waging battle there, so as to diminish the great alliance between us and Britain. They were sent by their leader, George Washington himself. I rushed to help my people. But even so, us Native-Americans were still able to assist Britain by a great deal.
Though I believe that all Iroquois tribes played significant roles in the war, when the treaty signalling the end of this war was signed, we were never consulted. It kind of hurts when you work so hard on something, then your opinion isn’t even taken at the end. However, according to that logic, it would mean we never surrendered in the war. Yet the patriots claim that their victory against the loyalists is also a victory against us, which technically, it isn’t. Because of this, we were forced into giving up parts of our land to the patriots. It wasn’t fair. I sometimes blame myself, that my tribe had to face a major impediment, but what else could I have done? However, we are a strong group, and we still resisted, still fought back. Eventually, this led to America giving back land they illegally took from us, but not for a long time.
As I probably mentioned before, the American Revolution was just a disaster waiting to happen. If you are reading this, please don’t make the same mistake of a war again. Hopefully this letter will show you what it has meant for my people.
Sincerely,
Thayendanegea
(Joseph Brant)
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P.S. I hope everyone is staying safe in wake of COVID-19. Remember to wash your hands frequently! In quarantine, I’m trying to keep myself busy and work on my schoolwork remotely. With all the extra time, I’ve also been able to focus on this blog more and update interesting stories for all you readers out there to enjoy!
– Ishita
