William Johnson, 1st Baronet

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Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet (* 1715 in Smithtown, County Meath , Ireland ; † 11 July 1774 in Johnstown , Province of New York ) was a British - Irish trader , politician and general in the British colonies in North America.

Life

Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet

William Johnson was born into a gentry family in County Meath, Ireland in 1715 and emigrated to the British colonies in North America in 1738 . To this he had been induced by his uncle uncle, the Admiral Sir Peter Warren , who had invited him to administer his land there in the province of New York and to promote their development and settlement. Johnson settled on the south bank of the Mohawk River , about 25 miles west of Schenectady , and set up a trading post for settlers and Indians .

Johnson was an unusual occurrence at a time when Europeans in America widely viewed the Indians as "uncivilized, barbaric savages". He treated them with respect, sought their friendship and established good relationships with the local tribes, especially the Mohawk (Kanien'kehá: ka) under Sachem Hendrick Theyanoguin . He learned their languages, dressed in their own way, was hospitable to them, and tried to save their countries from theft and illegal settlements. He also took care of educational opportunities and religious upbringing. In 1744 he was appointed superintendent for Indian affairs for the tribes of the Six Nations ( Iroquois ). Johnson acquired large estates, many of which he received as gifts from grateful Mohawks, and became one of the richest men in the British colonies.

Johnson's diplomatic and military skills were first shown during the War of the Austrian Succession (1744-1748), when he was able to use Iroquois warriors to fight France . In 1754 he led negotiations between the British and the Indians during the so-called "Albany Congress".

During the French and Indian War (1754–1763) he led in 1755 an advance of militia troops against the French fort at Crown Point . He did not succeed in taking it, but in the battle of Lake George he proved to be a capable and cold-blooded general who, despite being wounded, managed to win a clear victory from an impending debacle that is all the more astonishing than him and his Militia officers faced French line troops under the leadership of the experienced German-born General Ludwig August von Dieskau . After this success he was able to build the strategically important Fort William Henry on Lake George . The following year, on November 27, 1755, in the Baronetage of Great Britain , he was bestowed the hereditary title of Baronet , of New York. In addition, he was appointed superintendent for all Indian tribes of the north, a position he held until his death. In 1758 he survived the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Ticonderoga caused by the incompetence of General James Abercrombie , in 1759, after the death of Brigadier General John Prideaux, he took command of the British troops that captured the strategically important French base Fort Niagara and a relief army in defeated the Battle of La Belle Famille . The following year he served under General Jeffrey Amherst in the siege and conquest of Montréal . Johnson's services were rewarded by the king with the donation of additional, extensive estates in the New York colony.

Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet

In 1762 Johnson founded a settlement from which today's city of Johnstown (New York) developed. In 1763 and 1764 he earned further services when he succeeded in persuading the Iroquois not to take part in the Pontiac uprising, which was very dangerous for British colonial rule . In 1768 he led negotiations with the Iroquois at Fort Stanwix , which resulted in the First Treaty of Fort Stanwix , through which they ceded lands in what is now the US states of Pennsylvania and New York as well as claims to territory in Ohio in return for monetary payments.

Johnson spent his twilight years at his Johnson Hall mansion near Johnstown, raising sheep and racing horses and living in the style of a British country gentleman. Since 1739 he was married to Catherine Wisenberg, with whom he had three children. After her death, he lived with Indian lovers, including a sister of the famous chief Joseph Brant . His son Sir John Johnson, 2nd Baronet (1742-1830) lost his father's property because he fought as a loyalist on the British side against the Americans in the War of Independence that broke out shortly after his death . He settled in Canada after the end of the war .

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predecessor title successor
New title created Baronet, of New York
1755-1774 		John Johnson
personal data
SURNAME Johnson, William
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Johnson, Sir William, 1st Baronet
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Irish-British trader, politician and general in the British colonies in North America
DATE OF BIRTH 1715
PLACE OF BIRTH Smithtown, County Meath
DATE OF DEATH July 11, 1774
Place of death Johnstown (New York)