John Norton (Mohawk chief) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Norton
Teyoninhokarawen |
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Teyoninhokarawen (John Norton)
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| Born | Estimated 1770 Unknown, likely Scotland
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| Died | Estimated 1827 Unknown, likely Canada
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| Nationality | British, Mohawk (adopted) |
| Spouse(s) | Catherine (Iroquois woman of Six Nations Reserve) |
John Norton (also known as Teyoninhokarawen) was an important leader who lived from about 1770 to 1827. He was a Mohawk chief, a translator for the British government, and a teacher. He was born in Scotland but was adopted by the Mohawk people when he was around 30 years old.
During the War of 1812, John Norton became a military leader. He led Iroquois warriors to fight alongside the British against the United States. He was given the rank of major. He guided warriors from the Six Nations of the Grand River in key battles like Queenston Heights, Stoney Creek, and Chippawa.
John Norton's mother was Scottish, and his father was Cherokee. His father was rescued by British soldiers during a war and taken to England. There, he was raised by an English family and given the name Norton. Later, he married a Scottish woman, and they had John.
John Norton joined the British Army and served in Ireland and Canada. In Canada, he became very interested in the Six Nations of the Grand River. He learned the Mohawk language and their way of life. In 1804, he traveled to England to represent the Iroquois. While there, he helped translate parts of the Christian Bible, specifically the Gospel of John, into Mohawk. This translation was then sent to Canada.
From 1809 to 1810, Norton visited many Cherokee towns in the American Southeast. He met some of his father's relatives and learned a lot about Cherokee culture. He wrote about his travels and experiences in a journal. This journal is special because it shares his unique view of the War of 1812 as a Mohawk leader who grew up with British influences. His journal was finally published in 1970.
Contents
Becoming a Mohawk Leader
John Norton was likely born in Scotland in the 1760s. His father was of Cherokee descent, and his mother was Scottish. His father had been saved by British soldiers during the Anglo-Cherokee War. He was taken to England and raised there.
Young John Norton started as a printer's apprentice but left to join the army. He served in Scotland and Ireland before being sent to Lower Canada (now Quebec) in 1785.
In 1787, while stationed near Niagara, Norton left the army. For a while, he taught at a Mohawk settlement called Tyendinaga. Later, in 1791, he traveled as a trader through the Ohio Valley, making many connections.
During this time, Norton became very close to the Six Nations of the Grand River people. In 1794, he worked as a translator for the British Indian department. He met Joseph Brant, a very important Mohawk leader, who became his teacher and guide. When Norton was in his early 30s, he was adopted into a Mohawk family and clan. Joseph Brant became his adoptive uncle.
The Mohawk people gave him the name Teyoninhokarawen, which means "open door." He settled on the Grand River reserve in Ontario. There, he married a First Nations woman named Catherine.
Leading the Mohawk People
John Norton was greatly inspired by Joseph Brant, the most famous Mohawk chief. Brant had led many of his people after the American Revolution to new homes in Canada. Norton became Brant's student, learning the Mohawk language and culture. He was adopted into the Mohawk nation as Brant's nephew. Later, he was given the special title of "Pine Tree Chief" in a public ceremony. This was an honorary position, not one passed down through family.
Norton supported Brant's ideas to help the Grand River settlements earn more money for the Iroquois. Brant wanted to lease land to settlers. This would help develop the land and benefit both the Iroquois and the settlers. The Iroquois were changing to a settled farming community, which the British government supported.
Brant also worried that European-Canadian settlers might just take over Iroquois lands if they weren't developed. The British governor, however, wanted all land deals handled by the government. He didn't want the Mohawk to lease land directly to white settlers. Despite this, Brant sold large parts of unused land in 1798. The money from these sales was invested in a British-Canadian bank to provide regular payments for the Mohawk people. Joseph Brant passed away in 1807.
Translating the Bible
In 1804, John Norton (Teyoninhokarawen) traveled to England. He went to talk with the British government on behalf of the Iroquois. While there, the British and Foreign Bible Society asked him to translate the Gospel of John into Mohawk. This was a very important project for the new Bible Society. It was their first translation, first publication, and first time distributing a book in another country (Canada).
At the Mohawk Chapel in Brantford, Ontario, there is a stained-glass window that shows the distribution of the Mohawk Gospel in 1806. The bottom of the window has a quote from Norton's translation. It says: "Let us strictly adhere to what the Lord has transmitted to us in the Holy Scriptures, that thereby the unbelievers may know that love we bear the commandments of God."
Journey to Cherokee Lands
From 1809 to 1810, Norton took a long trip to the American Southeast. He traveled through the large Cherokee territory. He hoped to find his father's relatives. He did meet family members and was accepted as Cherokee when they heard his story. At this time, the Cherokee people were facing pressure from settlers and state governments who wanted their land.
Norton wrote detailed notes about what he saw. He described Cherokee towns and their culture in his journal, The Journal of Major John Norton, 1816. This journal was later published in 1970.
Role in the War of 1812
After Joseph Brant died, Norton continued to be active with the Mohawk. When the War of 1812 started between Britain and the United States, Norton quickly joined British General Isaac Brock at Detroit. This was even though the Canadian Six Nations were officially neutral. After Brock's success at Detroit, more Six Nations warriors joined the British as allies.
Their arrival at Queenston Heights was very important for the British victory. Major Norton, John Brant (Joseph's son), and Lieutenant Kerr led these warriors.
The next year, 1813, Norton and his warriors helped the British retreat after the Americans took Fort George. The First Nations warriors acted as scouts before a successful night attack at the Battle of Stoney Creek. They also helped defeat the Americans at the Battle of Beaver Dams.
Norton continued to lead large groups of Iroquois warriors in many major battles of the war. His journal, The Journal of Major John Norton, 1816, gives one of the best firsthand accounts of the War of 1812. In his journal, Norton also included stories from his earlier trip to the Cherokee lands. He described their settlements and culture before the difficult period of the Trail of Tears in the 1830s.
Historians have studied how "Mohawk" John Norton truly was. Even though he spent his early years in Scotland and was adopted by the Mohawk after age 30, he was very close to Joseph Brant. Historians agree that, by the standards of that time, John Norton was indeed a Mohawk. The Mohawk people often welcomed people from other backgrounds into their culture.
Later Life and Legacy
Not much is known about John Norton's final years. Some people thought he might have moved to Mexico. His exact death date is unknown, but he was last mentioned in records in 1826. The Champlain Society, a historical organization, suggests he died in 1827.
John Norton's journal is a valuable historical document. It is kept in two large notebooks at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, England.
Images for kids
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Portrait of Major John Norton as Mohawk Chief Teyoninhokarawen by Mather Brown, painted around 1805. This painting is at the Yale Center for British Art.
