Joesph Brant : loyalist

The thirteen colonies should not declare independence from England. The English have not shown any malicious intent towards the colonies and do not wish to go to war with their countrymen. The English have shown nothing but the upmost respect for the Mohawk nation, I am as their leader treated with dignity and pride and I have no guaranties that the colonists will honor us in the same way. In fact from what I understand the colonists want to make our lands their own while the British have promised us new land in Canada for all of the Iroquois people when we win this conflict with the colonists.  So the colonists risk open war with the entire Iroquois nation if they declare their independence. My ties with England extend further than that of a man of war. My brother-in –law is Sir William Johnson who is superintendent for Northern Indian affairs. He always stayed in my house as a guest of honor and married my half-sister, and with them I lived for many years.  I fought in the last war with the French and laid siege to Montreal with the British and for my bravery I won a silver medal.  After the war I was taught in an English school in Connecticut where I learned English and I was praised for my intelligence by some of the finest instructors and I became a translator for the English at fort hunter and taught our people the ways of Christianity and I converted to the English church and accepted the name of Brant.  When I visited England and met King George and he treated me like a brother and promised the people of the Iroquois our rightful lands. I ask is that the behavior of a tyrant. I support the British in the event of all out conflict.