Hendrick Theyanoguin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hendrick Theyanoguin
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This engraving was sold in London after Hendrick's death in the Battle of Lake George. He holds a belt of wampum in his left hand.
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| Chief of the Mohawk Bear Clan | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1691 Westfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony |
| Died | September 8, 1755 (aged 64) near Lake George, Province of New York |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Iroquois Confederacy |
| Battles/wars | |
Hendrick Theyanoguin (born around 1691 – died September 8, 1755) was a very important leader of the Mohawk people. He was part of the Bear Clan and lived in a Mohawk town called Canajoharie, also known as the Upper Mohawk Castle, in colonial New York. Hendrick was a powerful speaker for the Mohawk Council. He became a close friend and ally of Sir William Johnson, who was in charge of Native American affairs for the British.
For a long time, people sometimes mixed up Hendrick Theyanoguin with another Mohawk leader named Hendrick Tejonihokarawa. This other Hendrick was older and from a different clan (the Wolf Clan). Historians have since helped us understand that they were two different, important leaders.
Contents
Who Was Hendrick Theyanoguin?
Early Life and Family
Theyanoguin was born in Westfield, Massachusetts. His mother was a Mohawk noblewoman, and his father was a Mohican chief. In the Mohawk culture, your family group, or Clan, comes from your mother's side. This means Hendrick was considered part of his mother's Bear Clan. Important positions and property were passed down through the mother's family line.
In Mohawk culture, a mother's oldest brother was very important in her children's lives, especially for boys. He was often more important than the biological father. This system also allowed the Mohawk to welcome new people into their tribe, even those captured in wars. Theyanoguin was given the name "Hendrick" when he was baptized in 1692. The English often called him Hendrick Peters or King Hendrick.
Life in Canajoharie
At some point, Theyanoguin moved to Canajoharie. This was one of the two main Mohawk towns in the early 1700s. Both towns were located on the south side of the Mohawk River. European settlers called Canajoharie the "Upper Castle." It was located upriver and west of Schenectady.
Theyanoguin became a chief of the Mohawk Bear Clan. This meant he took part in the Mohawk Council, which made decisions for the Mohawk people. He was not one of the fifty main leaders, called sachems, of the Iroquois Grand Council. This Grand Council included representatives from the Five Nations (later Six Nations, after the Tuscarora joined in 1722).
Working with the English
Theyanoguin worked hard to keep the alliance strong between the Mohawk people and the English. He wanted to protect the interests of the Mohawk and the larger Iroquois Confederacy in New York. The Mohawk leaders often used diplomacy, which means talking and negotiating, more than warfare. They tried to stay neutral during the rivalries and conflicts between the English and French colonists.
In 1746, Theyanoguin led a group of Mohawks to meet with the French Governor in Montreal. On their way back, they stopped at Isle La Motte. There, they attacked some Frenchmen who were collecting timber. They killed one person and took another prisoner before returning to Albany. Later that spring, Theyanoguin led a war party near Montreal, but the French fought them off. Even so, the French could not capture Theyanoguin.
A Time of War
The French and Indian War
During the French and Indian War (which was part of a bigger war called the Seven Years' War, from 1754-1763), Theyanoguin led a group of Mohawk warriors. They joined William Johnson, the British Superintendent of Indian Affairs. They traveled through the Hudson Valley on an expedition toward Crown Point.
In 1753, Theyanoguin gave a speech to the governor of New York. He warned him that the Six Nations of the Iroquois might come down to New York if their concerns were not addressed. Newspapers at the time wrote a lot about this warning, causing some fear.
Death at Lake George
Theyanoguin was killed on September 8, 1755, at the Battle of Lake George. He was on a mission to stop the French army from moving south. His horse was shot, and he was then killed with a bayonet.
Years later, in 1769, Sir William Johnson helped build the Indian Castle Church in Canajoharie. This was an Anglican mission. Today, this church is part of the Mohawk Upper Castle Historic District, which is a very important historical site.
See also
In Spanish: Hendrick Theyanoguin para niños
