Diplomat of the Six Nations: Molly Brant and the American Revolution

At the dawn of the American Revolution, 39-year-old Molly Brant, a Mohawk Indian, is the widowed partner of the legendary Sir William Johnson and mother of their eight young children. For the past 15 years, she has assisted Sir William, Britain’s superintendent for Indian affairs and hero of the French and Indian War, as he negotiated the relationship between Britain and its colonies with her people, the Six Nations confederacy, sometimes called the Iroquois.

Now a time of decision is coming. Will she cast her lot with the colonists who are trying to seize power in a region regarded by her people as the Six Nations heartland, or will she use her great influence to convince her people to remain loyal to the king? Drawing heavily on primary sources, this biography of the Mohawk leader chronicles her task to carve out a promising future for her children and her people in a world that threatens to make homeless refugees of them all.

Donna Tesiero holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell, a law degree from Columbia, and master’s degrees from Harvard and Lesley University. She lives in Massachusetts.