Samuel Kirkland - Preacher on the Frontier
Samuel Kirkland was a frontier Preacher who convinced the Oneida and Tuscarora Nations to side with the Patriots during the Revolutionary War.
Published 3/16/18 - Updated 10/19/21
Missionary
Samuel Kirkland was a Presbyterian minister who moved to the Mohawk Valley in Upstate New York just as tensions were heating up with the British.
His intention was to work as a missionary, establish a church and convert the Native Americans to Christianity.
Kirkland gained the trust of many of the locals and helped them negotiate disputes with the colonists.
Recruitment
With the onset of revolution, Upstate New York became a major battleground. The Iroquois Confederacy, made up of the Six Nations, was split on who to side with.
Most Native Americans sided with the British because they were treated so well after the French and Indian War.
Kirkland was able to convince the Tuscarora and Oneida Nations to join the Patriots.
After the War
After the war, Samuel Kirkland found himself playing peacemaker.
At this time, many people from New England began moving to the area. These Yankees had a lot of anger for the Native Americans because they mistakenly thought all of Nations had fought with the British.
Kirkland felt it was his duty to help the Tuscarora and Oneida and he explained to the newcomers which tribes Patriots and which were not.
Hamilton College
Kirkland also founded a school for boys.
The Hamilton-Oneida School was named for trustee (and friend of Kirkland) Alexander Hamilton as well as the local Oneida people.
It educated young men of both Native and white heritage and is today known simply as Hamilton College.
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The Iroquois played an important, yet often overlooked, role in the American Revolution. To learn more, check out ‘Forgotten Allies’ through the Amazon affiliate link below.
