Analyze: How might France’s recognition of the United States affect other
countries’ perception of British North America?
Evaluate: Based on this document and your knowledge of other sources, which is
the strongest motivation for the French to form this alliance—political, economic,
or military? Explain your response.Document 4.10 CoLoNEL DANIEL BroDHEAD, Letter to
General George Washington on an American
Expedition into Pro-British Iroquois Territory
1779Daniel Brodhead (1736–1809) served as an officer in the Continental Army during the first
years of the American Revolution and as commander of the Western Reserve between
1779 and the end of the war. As commander of the Western Reserve, Brodhead was
ordered by General George Washington to subdue Native American tribes in northwest-
ern Pennsylvania that allied with the British. Most prominent were tribes that were part of
the Iroquois Confederacy, a loose alliance of mostly Algonquin peoples in the northwest
region of British America. In this document, Brodhead provides an update of his progress
and mentions a parallel offensive under Major John Sullivan against a coalition of Loyal-
ists and Iroquois in western New York.I had only six hundred & five Rank & File, including volunteers & Militia; with
those I marched to the upper town on the River, called the Yahrungwago, I met
with no opposition from the enemy after killing six or seven, & wounding a num-
ber out of a party of warriors consisting of Forty, that were coming against the
settlements—this was done in a few minutes by the advanced Guard—composed
of fifteen Light Infantry & eight Delaware Indians, without any loss on our side,
except three men very slightly wounded—we destroyed in the whole, one hun-
dred & sixty-five Cabins, 130 of which were deserted on the approach of the
troops; & the most of them were new & large enough for accommodation of
three or four Indian families....
I congratulate you on your success against the Indians and the more savage
tories, & am quite happy in the reflection that our efforts promise a lasting tran-
quility to the Frontiers we have covered. Something still remains to be done to
the westward, which I expect leave to execute, & then I conceive the wolves of the
forest will have sufficient cause to howl as they will be quite destitute of food....Samuel Hazard, ed., Pennsylvania Archives Selected and Arranged from Original Documents
in the Office of Secretary of the Commonwealth Conformably to Acts of the General Assem-
bly, February 15, 1851, & March 1, 1852, vol. 12 (Philadelphia, PA: Joseph Severns, 1854),
165–166.TopIC II | entangling alliances 10305_STA_2012_ch4_085-114.indd 103 26/03/15 10:11 AM