Joseph Brant, 1743-1807: Man of Two Worlds

by Isabel Thompson Kelsay

This is a major historical biography of the great Indian figure from the Revolutionary War period. Kelsay calls Joseph Brant the "most famous American Indian who ever lived"—a claim which she supports with her book. The result of some thirty years of research and writing, Joseph Brant provides a total picture of Indian life in northeast and mid-America at the end of the 18th century. Kelsay presents the reader with a wealth of characters and recreates in rich detail the historical period, its mood, and atmosphere. Educated into European culture, Brant belonged everywhere—and nowhere. Born in a bark hut, he died in a mansion. A "common Indian" among an aristocracy-ridden people, he married power (his wife was the head woman of the Mohawks) and came to be resented as "too great a man." He built churches, befriended missionaries, translated a prayer book into Mohawk—and voiced scandalous doubts about the Christian religion. Though he was called the "Monster Brant," he was merciful in warfare. He worked all his life for the good of his people. His position and prominence brought him into contact with most of the major figures of the period, including George Washington, George Ill, Aaron Burr, Sir William Johnson, even a traveling James Boswell. His best friend was an English duke. His enemies were legion. Washington tried to bribe him, his own son tried to kill him, and many of the Indians hated him. It was his tragedy to preach an unattainable unity to tribes torn by jealousies and ancient feuds.

Genres: History, Native American, Nonfiction, Biography

792 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, well-researched biography of Joseph Brant. Kelsay gives us a vivid portrait of an Indian activist and Loyalist primarily concerned with his people's’ interests, as well as a fierce warrior with the accompanying reputation. At the same time, Brant was well-known among London and Philadelphia socialites; he was a good writer, translated Christian texts into Mohawk, had a taste for fine food, and even owned black slaves. He was an advocate of Indian nationalism long before Tecumseh made his debut. Brant comes off as a clear thinker with a determined vision and as a human figure with all of the accompanying foibles. Kelsay argues that Brant never sold out the Indians’ true interests, and that his involvement in such massacres as Wyoming have been exaggerated. Brant had a reputation as a gentleman and charmer, and Kelsay does a fine job fleshing out Brant’s complicated and interesting personality.

The book is quite long, and often the reader may be bored to death by Kelsay’s fascination with the details of all of Brant’s complex land deals. Kelsey’s treatment of Native American history is also somewhat superficial. Much of the narrative deals with description, and analysis receives short shrift for the most part. Her descriptions of Brant’s travels are long and tedious, and read like a journal entry.

Still, an interesting work by an author clearly fascinated by her subject, with a readable and witty narrative that fleshes out Brant’s historical significance.

[Tullius · Rating 5 out of 5]

A True Behemoth, though definitely worth a read. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, though it is definitely not for the weak. this is one of, if not the most, well-respected books I've ever read, spanning over 700 pages. It has well over 2000 pages worth of information in it.

Joseph Brant was a Mohawk from the area called "The Longhouse", it spanned across a large area that encompassed most of Northern New York across Pennsylvania and the Ohio Territories. Brant lived a very long and busy life. Many of the stories attributed to him may have their violence exaggerated. I don't get the impression that he was a particularly brutal individual, just a man doing his best by his people through turbulent times.

Finding himself in nearly every major engagement on the American/British and French Frontier in the second half of the 18th century, he cast a shadow no man could ever really match. I found his life to be truly fascinating, and in many ways, I found him to actually be a modern gentleman. A man doing truly everything he could to keep his people and his land. By the end, he had managed to acquire an eye watering 3500 acres of land. The man truly worked up to his final days, and it didn't really seem like he was looking to slow down or give up.

In summation, this is a man to be revered, not despised. At times. I quite literally found myself laughing at his genius and cheering for the man. This is a book I will never forget, a true classic of research and effort. Joseph Brant himself would not be able to recount as many details about his life as are contained in this book.

[Miroslav · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keď mám veľmi rád literatúru faktu, ktorá ide do najmenších detailov, 650 strán o Brantovi bolo predsa len príliš. Navyše čakal som trošku viac zo zákulisia kmeňa Mohawk, okolnosti vojen, no kniha sa kŕčovito drží len osoby Branta. Škoda, mohla to byť geniálna kniha na úrovni Tecumseh and the Prophet, kde bol kombinovaný životopis so širšími reáliami doby

[Mark Luongo · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the toughest books I've ever read but interesting enough not to put down. Not a military history but pure biography emphasizing the struggles of one man fighting encroachment on his people's land and their culture. A controversial figure on both sides of the Canadian-U.S. border whose "Monster Brant" reputation was not warranted. The one major flaw in this book is the lack of maps to accompany the text. That would have made following the narrative a bit easier as it jumps from place to place frequently. I bought this book in 1990 at the Biography Bookstore on Bleeker Street in Manhattan, used as reference for my Master's work at NYU. I'm glad I finally got a chance to read the WHOLE thing, over 600 pages! Happy New Year!

[booklady]

Laine,

Isn't this the book you were telling me about? Isn't this a distant relative of yours?