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Little Abraham

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Little Abraham or Tyorhansera was a Mohawk Chief who was best known for his neutral stance regarding the Revolutionary War.[1] This was because he believed that neither side was trustworthy.[2]

Little Abraham’s date of birth is unknown, but he died in 1780 in prison after being arrested by Guy Johnson in 1780.[2] The Revolutionary War took place between 1775 and 1783.

Little Abraham lived in a town called Tiononderoge,[3] in the Mohawk Nation, which is a part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.[3] Little Abraham was a Pine Tree Chief and a member of the Wolf Clan.[2] Pine Tree Chiefs are people who prove themself to be worthy of being in the grand council of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and cannot pass their position hereditarily.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Speech of the Mohawks to the Magistrates and Committee of Schenectady, and the Mayor and Committee of Albany, delivered by Little Abraham, May 20 | Northern Illinois University Digital Library". digital.lib.niu.edu. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  2. ^ a b c Pastore, Ralph T. (1979). "TEIORHÉÑHSEREˀ". Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 4. University of Toronto/Université Laval. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  3. ^ a b Fitz, Caitlin A. (2008). ""Suspected on Both Sides": Little Abraham, Iroquois Neutrality, and the American Revolution". Journal of the Early Republic. 28 (3): 299–335. ISSN 0275-1275.
  4. ^ Communications. "Government". Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Retrieved 2023-07-17.