The First Nation Warriors Who Fought For The British Empire | Nations At War | Timeline

my name's dan snow and i want to tell you about history hit tv it's like the netflix for history hundreds of exclusive documentaries and interviews with the world's best historians we've got an exclusive offer available to fans of timeline if you go to history hit tv you can either follow the information below this video or just google history hit tv and use the code timeline you get a special introductory offer go and check it out in the meantime enjoy this video in 1775 revolution tests loyalties across north america when 13 british colonies declare independence their mohawk allies face a dangerous choice trapped between an old friendship with britain and a new american republic willing to destroy anyone in their way conquer surrender victory defeat these deadly battles shaped confidence these are nations at war [Music] at the turn of the 18th century the global ambitions of two rival superpowers are dividing nations around the world forced to pick a side in a european feud which stretched back to the middle ages france was a catholic powerhouse with a huge army and imperial territories around the world across the narrow channel england's unification with scotland in 1707 had made great britain into a protestant bastion at the heart of an expanding empire caught between them were a shifting network of allies creating a balance of power which prevented either side's total defeat britain couldn't defeat france on the continent but their fleet could isolate them making victory overseas possible new france was protected by a string of fortifications luckily for great britain and her fledgling american colonies their involvement in local politics had made them a dangerous enemy between the adirondack and catskill mountains flows a river which joins the hudson as it empties into the atlantic this strategic waterway passed through the homeland of a warrior nation the people of the flint place known and feared throughout europe as the mohawks they were one of five iroquois nations which made up the iroquois confederacy guarding its eastern flank they'd known bitter wars against the confederacy's first nation's rivals when french troops launched raids against the iroquois confederacy it had been their lands which suffered the worst jesuit missionaries had even convinced many mohawks to resettle in communities friendlier to the french the mohawks were under assault they needed powerful allies in the past dutch traders supplied muskets which allowed the mohawks to arm the iroquois confederacy however by 1670 the dutch were gone their territory now english new york in his new neighbors new york's governor edmund andros saw natural allies mohawk warriors were battle hardened with generations of experience fighting in the northern woodlands to call on the new yorkers did not want them as enemies the agreements governor andross made would be the first true link in the covenant chain the covenant chain dates back to when the dutch were in the region the british kicked out the dutch and sort of took over that formal alliance in january 1676 the covenant chain was tested by the arrival of wampanoags embroiled in a war with the english colonies they were hoping to winter under the protection of the mohawks possibly even convince them to join their war their warriors descended on the wampanoag's camp in the dead of winter the mohawks had proven their loyalty now it was britain's turn with peaceful relations came trade and an influx of settlers into the hudson and mohawk valleys they adopted elements of mohawk dress diet and battle tactics in the process the people themselves changed becoming less british and more american the mohawks in turn learned british ways used their goods many even converted to the british faith strengthening the links which bound them together in 1722 the confederacy grew from five to six nations as the iroquois speaking tuscarora fled their homeland following a war with colonists sheltered by the oneida their linguistic and cultural ties soon gained them official membership though still powerful the iroquois confederacy had suffered heavily since european arrival decades of war and waves of european disease had decimated whole communities a time of peace and plenty would allow them to rebuild and regroup to do that they'd need british partners they could trust into that void stepped sir william johnson descended from old gaelic nobility johnson had come to america to manage his uncle's estate but before long he set up shop as a back country trader luckily for him years spent in the mohawk valley had earned him the trust of its people the mohawks taught him the rituals of iroquois diplomacy they'd even given him a nickname waragayage a man who undertakes great things with mohawk help johnson would become one of the most powerful men on the continent winning fame and fortune in a war to decide the fate of north america [Music] 1742 an irish trader named william johnson is building an empire in the new york wilderness johnson's success depended on the cooperation of his business partners by 1746 this connection had won johnson the job of britain's representative to the iroquois confederacy among his responsibilities would be to raise mohawk and iroquois warriors to fight for britain a duty which became more important as the final showdown with france over north america began the struggle between france and britain over north america accelerates from the 1690s onward as both of these increasingly colonial empires begin to perceive that colonial possessions are not simply a sideshow starting with the war of austrian succession in 1740 britain and france fought a series of interlocking wars around the world the final phase began in 1754 when a british colonial officer named george washington attacked a french patrol at jumanville glen the ramifications of this small skirmish in the ohio territory would have far-reaching effects this essentially triggered a two-year process by which british and french were once again drawn into war to the iroquois it was yet another imperial squabble in which they had little to gain by fighting william johnson was now a man caught between two worlds johnson wasn't alone he still had many friends among the mohawk many whom wished to fight their old french enemy among them was tiano guin a christian mohawk comfortable in both iroquois and british societies his support gave weight to johnson's appeals raising 200 mohawks to fight alongside johnson and his 1500 colonial militia on the 8th of september 1755 this ragtag army met an equal number of french and native fighters in battle near lake george new york that morning tanaguan led a reconnaissance force of mohawks and militia bringing him face to face with mohawks fighting for the french in the fire fight which followed he and dozens of his warriors died but the mohawks now refuse to fight their own kind in frustration the french commander baron d scout led his 220 grenadiers in a charge to inspire the rest into action he marched straight into the mouth of johnson's cannons wounded early johnson spent most of the battle in his tent however in the wake of the disastrous battle of monica hala the british government needed a hero johnson was made a baron his friend tyanna guin was mourned on both sides of the atlantic it wasn't until june 1758 the british managed to reverse their fortunes when an amphibious landing led by james wolf captured the strategically vital outpost of lewisburg this commander jeffrey amherst was keen to take advantage of the victory with their confidence in britain restored william johnson was able to rally a thousand iroquois warriors for amherst's campaign while amherst attacked fort carrion he sent 3 000 troops to support the iroquois led by johnson together they attacked fort niagara johnson assumed command and won the 20-day siege a day later amherst followed suit and took carry-on though wolf died in the effort he took quebec before winter halted the advance only montreal held out the attack on montreal would be a triumphant victory march the french commander the duke de la vie burned the french regiment standards and surrendered canada to the british in 1763 the treaty of paris ended the fighting the british had won in north america however the peace wouldn't last with no french menace to unite them the victorious coalition would shatter destroyed by a bitter civil war the american revolution 1774 great britain is the master of the north atlantic world north america's destiny would be english-speaking and british in character with the peace came demobilized soldiers returning settlers and new immigrants all hungry for land however king george iii had issued a royal proclamation in 1763 for bidding settlement west of the appalachian mountains the proclamation was a grand diplomatic gesture towards the still undefeated nations once allied to the french settlers ignored the king's orders pouring into the appalachians and beyond the mohawks of the valley who helped the british army achieve its stunning victories were no longer considered essential allies johnson who owed everything to the mohawks was one of the few loyal friends they had left at 57 johnson knew he would not be the man to help the mohawks through the difficult days ahead that burden he believed should fall to a man he knew well tyandanega he who places two bets among the british and americans he was known as joseph brandt as a teenage recruit tyandanega fought for johnson at the battle of fort niagara his sister degon wadonti was both a mohawk clan matriarch and johnson's common-law wife johnson had such confidence in the young mohawk he sponsored tyandanega while he pursued a british education when johnson finally died in 1774 with him went the last real hope of a peaceful future between the mohawks and their american neighbors across the american colonies republican and radical politicians were defying britain's authority no longer dependent on british protection from the french or first nations they began to reflect on their place in the empire many resented paying taxes for colonial defense and maintenance without receiving representation in parliament worse still the king had tried to protect the rights of first nations and new french canadian subjects at the expense of their ambitions north america was a powder keg ready to explode on april 19 1775 at lexington massachusetts a shock heard around the world lit the fuse the rebels who styled themselves the patriots weren't only fighting the british army they'd have to kill their own people as well both sides saw the iroquois warriors as either an important ally or potential threat no political maneuvering could spare them now one by one the six nations began to choose a side and this british civil war became an iroquois one as well the majority of seneca cayuga and onondaga would support the british the oneida and tuscarora back the american rebels for the mohawks of the valley whose homeland was already being stolen out from underneath them their decision would be costly they'd sworn to be loyal friends of the british crown now tyandanega would make sure they kept their promise he raised warriors to fight for the british leading his men deep into the new york wilderness by august of 1777 his mohawks and rangers were part of the crucial siege of fort stanwix alongside seneca warriors and colonial troops led by william johnson's son john when a column of 800 american militia under nicholas herkimer marched to lift the siege tienda nega and john johnson would be waiting for them at a wooded ravine not far from the fort they set their trap while johnson's 100 loyalists blocked their advance from the front tyndanega would lead the warriors and rangers around to the rear once the americans were in the ravine he would attack and cut off their retreat the plan was sound the execution was not at 10 am on august 6th with only part of the american column in the ravine everything went terribly wrong without orders a few impatient warriors began to fire on the pasic americans realizing they'd lost the element of surprise tyndanega swung into action scattering the rear of the column then turning on the enemy in the ravine the mohawk and seneca warriors attacked in waves closing range with muskets blazing before hacking their enemy down with tomahawks fighting not only americans but local oneida as well the americans suffered heavy losses but held their ground johnson was forced to withdraw to avoid being overrun horuscani was one of the most brutal fights of the war already a hated figure among the patriots tyan denega would become a propaganda villain following 1778 when he led a campaign against enemy settlements in the mohawk valley the americans hungered for revenge among the iroquois the american supreme commander george washington was already known by the nickname town destroyer in 1779 he proved himself worthy of the title sending an army into the homeland of the iroquois led by major general john sullivan the american mission was simple destroy iroquois morel and their entire economic base with their homeland burning the iroquois rallied one thousand warriors to stop it though tyandanega argued in favor of guerilla tactics instead the now 1200 warriors and loyalist rangers would lay in wait for their enemy near newtown new york august 29 1779 the americans attacked with artillery and 3 000 men the defenders were swept from the hill and fled barely escaping american encirclement thanks to rough terrain it was a defeat from which the iroquois confederacy would never recover their british allies weren't faring much better they had begun the war with impressive victories over washington's rebel army now it had re-emerged from near destruction at valley forge disciplined and highly motivated to avenge the loss of canada king louis xvi threw money weapons and his military into the war though it would bankrupt france and spark the revolution which executed him louie's support would ensure an american victory spain and the netherlands followed france into the conflict on the rebel side in 1782 british parliament turned decisively against the war a year later another treaty ended the fighting the united states of america had won their independence the thousands of american loyalists who'd backed britain were now refugees among the waves of exiles were the mohawks which shared the british defeat most of their ancestral homeland was gone lost to the victorious united states they would have to start again settling on land given to them by the british in ontario and quebec tiandinega would spend the rest of his life pursuing a revival of first nations power on the continent he died in 1807. in 1676 the mohawks of the valley had made a gamble on the future of north america choosing to side with britain over the french and even their fellow first nations a hundred years later this decision had cost them almost everything but in 1812 they would get a measure of revenge against their betrayers when the united states invaded canada alongside canadian militia and a handful of british regulars mohawk warriors braved seemingly impossible odds heroically defending their new homeland in a war which ended american dreams of conquering north america [Music] for over 800 years north america was a battleground for land and wealth the first nations fought each other and the europeans who challenged their rule but by the beginning of the 19th century it would become a struggle to survive a defiant refusal to accept a world remade by global empires conquer surrender victory defeat these deadly battles shaped conflicts these are nations at war [Music] november 7th 1885 craigalecki bc a simple iron spike cements a monumental moment in the history of the americas canada is now a nation which stretches from atlantic to pacific the culmination of one of the greatest invasions in human history just 150 years old canada is a young country its neighbor the united states is not much older their need borders hide a deeper truth their societies territories and economies began not hundreds of years ago but tens of thousands new discoveries in the yukon suggest a human presence since the end of the pleistocene ice age these were the first seeds of human culture society shaped by the landscape and environment they called home it would be these people who first spotted what became an ominous portent of violent change a sail on the horizon though geography had connected europe to the peoples of asia and africa since beyond recorded history the atlantic and pacific oceans had isolated the first nations and empires of the americas it wasn't until the 10th century that a society on either side of the world's oceans had the technology to effectively bridge the divide the creation of the longship changed everything using ships like these norse raiders had swept out of their scandinavian homeland in waves they can come in right up onto the beach and by the time you realize that they're there they've already taken half your women half your young men and a lot of the stuff that you have that they might want they seized land in russia france and the british isles before pushing further west across the north atlantic to settle in iceland and greenland from where they could reach the canadian coastline the indigenous people they met were unaware of the vikings violent reputation greeting the newcomers with amazement instead of fear thorvald eriksen ordered an attack slaughtering the unarmed men without provocation as thorvald's men retreated back to their vessel the locals followed them there unleashing showers of arrows which killed vorvel and drove the rest away first contact between european and first nations civilizations ended in bloodshed the sprahlings had faced the invasion in one ending european colonial ambitions in the americas for another five centuries in their absence civilization in the americas underwent a dramatic transformation in the northeast woodlands powerful nations ward over farmland hunting grounds and ancient grudges seneca cayuga onondaga oneida and mohawk locked into an endless cycle of retribution until an unlikely figure offered them a new vision a prophet they called peacemaker who bound the five nations together the iroquois confederacy stronger together they had the warriors and the resources to challenge their neighboring rivals like the algonquin and wendat that was until 1609 when the iroquois warriors faced a whole new type of enemy in the centuries after the vikings failure europe had changed as well the kingdoms of the continent had emerged from the middle ages stronger and more centralized with booming populations and intense rivalries the technology they now commanded included ships capable of crossing oceans and firearms of devastating power with their path to the spices and riches of the far east blocked by the ottoman empire's conquest of constantinople in 1453 the kingdoms of europe were desperate for a new route it was a mercenary from genoa named columbus would be the first to search for it to the west in october 1492 his three-ship fleet arrived in the bahamas their landing began the greatest clash of civilizations in human history unlike the conquistadors who would rampage across south america france's representatives were merchants more interested in money and furs in the first nations they found shrewd and ambitious business partners the first french outpost in atlanta canada had survived only thanks to the patients of the mcmahon who chose to greet the beleaguered occupants of port royal as friends with this eastern base secure samuel de champlain had pushed deeper inland closer to the rich hunting grounds of the interior establishing a trading fort named quebec the first nations were the key to the infant fur trade's success in exchange they asked for european textiles metal weapons and most importantly military assistance in their wars against the iroquois confederacy in 1609 champlain joined a wendat algonquin war party in a battle near ticonderoga new york with a hail of gunfire three frenchmen killed three chiefs and routed the iroquois champlain's victory had secured quebec's new trade network at the iroquois expense it was merchants from france's protestant rival the netherlands who happily provided the five nations with the arsenal they needed to level the playing field with their french and first nations rivals the iroquois would march to battle the wars for the east had begun it's the 1630s in eastern north america two rival fur trades spark competition and conflict centered around quebec an alliance led by the wendat and french dominate lush hunting grounds and key waterways further south their bitter rivals the iroquois confederacy were ready to break their stranglehold armed with an arsenal of muskets provided by their dutch backers the dutch and later the british had no problem selling firearms to the iroquois and armed them as rapidly as they could because they understood of course that the stronger the iroquois get the weaker the french get beginning in 1638 the iroquois confederacy exploded out of their territory overwhelming their neighbors by 1648 an army of 1 000 warriors set the wendat heartland on fire with their wendat allies crumbling in the face of iroquois might new france now came under direct attack forcing the french government to deploy a colonial army to finally check the iroquois confederacy's expansion by the time a ceasefire was signed in 1701 the french colonies had endured despite their new power the iroquois had little hope of defeating the french empire by themselves in stepped france's ancient enemy england in 1610 they had laid their own claims to north america fighting bitter wars with the powhatan pequot and wampanoag they secured a foothold on the mid-atlantic coast only an alliance of mikmak wabanaki and acadians checked their advance to the north by 1676 the english had assumed control of the dutch colonial territories renaming it new york the mohawk valley became a borderland between the english and the iroquois confederacy rather than fight the iroquois merchants and politicians like william johnson attempted to understand them forging an alliance called the covenant chained with the iroquois as the europeans arrive they bring with them their dynastic baggage they see the iroquois as a group that can help them expand their own control in this larger global dynastic struggle by the 1700s imperial conflicts in europe began to spill over into the americas the rivalry between france and england's successor great britain was going global the mcmac and frenchmen of acadia would be the first to suffer the consequences in 1713 their land was surrendered to british overlordship forcing them to wage a 75-year guerrilla resistance to the wholesale theft of their land the mikmaq bitterly held out until the british were willing to negotiate new france and their remaining first nations allies would not be so lucky british and iroquois military might prove too much for new france beginning in 1754 the seven years war spelled the end of their empire in the americas but in its hour of triumph this mighty alliance would be destroyed from within winning their independence in 1783 the united states of america turned on the allies who had helped them win their land britain was evicted from the southern colonies the americans also turned on their iroquois allies burning their homeland in 1812 the united states attempted to finish what their revolution had started sending their army north to conquer what remained of british north america they felt that they had a manifest destiny that they had a almost a god-given destiny to expand control over the entire north american continent outnumbered 10-1 britain's meager colonial garrison marched out to meet them joined by first nations warriors like tecumseh who shared a mutual hatred of their enemy the defenders stopped the advancing american columns one by one the american invasion retreated south they would never return as the wars in the east drew to a close the europeans and americans finally looked west across the vast grasslands and mountains to a missed shrouded western shore the race for the pacific had begun 1738 on the prairies which cover the heart of north america there are no europeans but even here the outsiders influence can be felt for generations the nations who called this land home depended on the buffalo to keep their peoples alive they've been hunting buffalo sins their earliest ancestors and they got to know the ecology of the buffalo very well then came the horse it spread by trade war or even theft across the north american interior the distance it let them travel could keep the nicatafe better connected than ever before forging an alliance which would dominate the western grasslands the blackfoot confederacy this confederacy faced stiff competition from a rival coalition to the east since 1668 english merchants had been engaged in a brisk trade in furs along the shores of the hudson's bay and all the rivers that drain into it vital to the hudson's bay company's success was the participation of the creed stony soto and assiniboine they became the ultimate middlemen and guides for the european fur traders who traveled the rivers of the west together they formed the iron confederacy you could say that it was the iron confederacy and the blackfoot confederacy who really shaped the way that politics on the planes developed the fur trade introduced the british to the immense territory to canada's west while giving birth to the metis a fusion of native and european the metis is like a living bridge between two cultures and a bridge has to be prepared to be walked on from both sides and that's what happened with the metis driven by greed desperate men from scotland england and french canada pushed deeper west into the heart of the rocky mountains and beyond the nations of the pacific northwest were ancient and prosperous fueled by the wealth generated from commerce raiding and a booming slave trade they were in the midst of a cultural golden age in 1780 the first european vessels began to reach the pacific shoreline training vessels also made frequent stops to haida guay but the hideo were smart they were warriors and whenever they saw an opportunity to perhaps capture a european ship they didn't hesitate to do that either distance kept large numbers of europeans and americans from settling the pacific northwest until 1858 when the lure of gold proved strong enough to draw tens of thousands of foreign miners into the lush mountains the inclucma still living the sustainable lifestyle of their ancestors now found themselves under assault inclema were swindled beaten raped and killed watching the impending disaster was the british governor of vancouver island james douglas seeing opportunity amidst the bloodshed he used the limited military forces at his disposal to complete a stunning land grab in 1858 he declared the creation of british columbia backed up with a british warship at the mouth of the fraser for the first nations of the prairies it was their new neighbor canada which claimed dominion over their homeland formed by four british colonies in 1867 it was a young nation with ambitions stretching from one coast to the other the bitter rivals the blackfoot and the iron confederacy had been hit hard by european diseases and now they faced a terrible famine the buffalo had been nearly annihilated by over hunting when ottawa offered a diplomatic solution to the brewing conflict the first nations were willing to listen the first nations bartered land rights for economic support and peace largely ignored by the treaties were the metis who faced an uncertain future in their own homeland in 1869 louis riel led a short armed insurrection to protect metis land rights the campaign led to the creation of manitoba as well as shining a light on a key strategic problem canada faced the answer was the canadian pacific railway but before the ambitious leaders could claim their glittering western prize they would have to face the people of the prairies in open battle members of the creed soto and assiniboine refused to quietly surrender as the canadians hold it under leaders like poundmaker and big bear they launched a rebellion in 1885 at the same time a second metis rebellion also threatened canada's expansion plans louis riel had returned from america rallying embittered metis in saskatchewan and declaring an independent nation based around the capital of batoche while both cree and metis scored impressive victories over the police and militia canada was able to deploy an army of thousands in a matter of days field artillery could rain down shells from well beyond the metis range while the gatling gun put the killing power of an entire company in the hands of just two operators the metis were still expert riders and dangerous marksmen but they were outnumbered and outgunned even though they won or drew almost every battle the kree and assiniboine rebels steadily surrendered as it became clear victory was impossible but gripped by religious visions real led the metis into a desperate last stand at batoche hammered with artillery fight and a hail of bullets after three days batoche fell real would be captured and hung with him died the last major obstacle to complete canada's greatest enterprise [Music] in just eight centuries human civilization in north america had been completely transformed europeans had redrawn the map of the continent in their image however the foreigners rise to power did not mean the end of the first nation society which had come before from their first days on the continent the newcomers had sought to join or co-opt the trading networks and alliances the first nations had already built the courage ingenuity and skill of aboriginal warriors would influence the tactics of their european and american enemies while the conflicts they fought helped shape the provinces and territories we live in today even as the wars for canada's future came to an end the first nations would take up arms once again fighting against empires and superpowers across the globe in a titanic struggle to decide the future of mankind [Music] foreign

Channel: Timeline - World History Documentaries

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Keywords: History, Full Documentary, Documentaries, Full length Documentaries, Documentary, TV Shows - Topic, Documentary Movies - Topic, 2017 documentary, BBC documentary, Channel 4 documentary, history documentary, documentary history, american history, canadian history, first nations, colonial canada, colonial america, blackfoot confederacy, mohawk tribe, mohawk alliance, mohawk history, native american history

Id: Fk42XcApW2Q

Length: 43min 8sec (2588 seconds)

Published: Sun Dec 19 2021