Description
The military and political leader Thayendanagea joined biographer and journalist James Boswell for an interview at this pub, having met each other at a Haberdasher’s Ball early in the Mohawk man’s first visit to London (1775-1776; he would return again in 1786). Boswell was fascinated by Thayendanagea’s clear cosmopolitanism and his obvious education. During Thayendanagea’s visit to London, he would become a Freemason, be entertained in the highest echelons of society, and conduct important diplomatic work regarding the alliance between the Mohawk and the Crown. He was an astute observer of British life and custom, and despite deep-seated attitudes about “savage” races, received rave reviews from those who met him. Thayendanagea would return to London in 1785 for a second visit, making yet another big splash on the city’s social scene while pursuing the political aims of his people and nation.
Bibliographic sources
Thrush, Indigenous London, 121-129. Image credit, portrait by George Romney – http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/education/toolkit/kitwarart_e.shtml image, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34962892