A Biography of William Johnson
Summary
Photo used courtesy of the
New York State Library |
From the time he arrived in the New World, William Johnson established strong ties with his Native American neighbors. As a military leader, he maintained those relationships and led British-American troops to victory against the French in the Battle of Lake George in 1755. His influence during the French and Indian War can still be felt today by visitors to historic sites throughout upstate New York.
Biography
Born in Ireland in 1715, William Johnson was 23 years old when his uncle, Sir Admiral Peter Warren, made him an exciting offer. Warren had too much land to manage in the New World. Would Johnson agree to oversee a tract of land along the Mohawk River in New York? Johnson accepted the offer and arrived in 1738. He began trading with the Six Nations and established strong relations with the Native Americans, learning their languages, dressing in their clothing, welcoming them into his home and protecting their land from encroachment.
In 1745, King George’s War broke out in the Americas between France and Great Britain. Two years later, Johnson was appointed Colonel of the Warriors of the Six Nations and charged with enlisting troops to fight against the French in Canada. Around this time, Johnson began building a larger home for his wife, Catherine Weisenberg, and three children. Old Fort Johnson was completed in 1749; it is now open to visitors as a historic site in Fort Johnson, NY.
In 1755, during the French and Indian War, Johnson led British-American troops in the Battle of Lake George. The road between Fort Edward and Fort William Henry is the likely site of the first engagement. Lake George Battlefield State Park marks the site of the second engagement. British-American troops were victorious in the battle. Afterward, the troops erected Fort William Henry, now a historic site in the village of Lake George NY. Johnson was awarded the title of baronetcy by King George II of England and became known as Sir William Johnson.
In 1756, Sir William secured the title of British Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Six Nations and held this title for the rest of his life. In 1759, Johnson’s troops seized Old Fort Niagara, which is now open as a historic site and museum, in Youngstown, NY. Also in 1759, Johnson’s first wife died. He then formed a relationship with Molly Brant, a Mohawk Indian who moved into his home and bore him eight children. In 1763, he built Johnson Hall, in Johnstown, NY. Today, Johnson Hall State Historic Site is open to visitors.
After the French and Indian War ended, Sir William was the lead negotiator in the first Treaty of Fort Stanwix, (now a historic site open to visitors in Rome, NY). The treaty was signed in 1768 and established boundaries for Native Americans and colonists. Around the same time, he was one of the first Europeans to be brought to the High Rock Spring, in Saratoga Springs, NY, by Native Americans. Johnson had been wounded in the war, and Native Americans knew the spring for its curative powers. Legend has it, Johnson spent a few days drinking from and bathing in the spring, and was able to walk most of the way back to his home in Johnstown. Visitors can find High Rock Spring on High Rock Avenue today. Sir William’s life ended in 1774, when he collapsed during a tense conference with 600 Native Americans at Johnson Hall.
Learn More
To learn more about Sir William Johnson, read White Savage: William Johnson and the Invention of America, by Fintan O'Toole (ISBN 0374281289), and visit the following websites:
Old Fort Johnson
www.oldfortjohnson.org
Johnson Hall
www.oldfortjohnson.org/jhallfolder/jhall.html
Rogers Island Visitors Center
www.rogersisland.org
Fort William Henry
www.fortwilliamhenry.com
Lake George Battlefield Park
www.lakegeorgehistorical.org/battlefield_park.htm
Old Fort Niagara
www.oldfortniagara.org
Fort Stanwix
www.nps.gov/fost
Also, visit the New York State Library to see Sir William Johnson’s collection of papers, digitized by the library with fiscal support from the New York State French & Indian War 250th Anniversary Commemoration Commission.
www.nysl.nysed.gov/library/ann/johnson.htm
www.nyshistoryday.org/SirWmJohnson.htm
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