Joseph Louis Cook
*The birth of Joseph Louis Cook is celebrated on this date in c 1737. He was a Black African Native American (Mohawk) American colonial leader.
Joseph Louis Cook, or Akiatonharónkwen, was born in Quebec, Canada. He was the son of an African father and an Abenaki mother. He and his mother moved to a Mohawk village in New York, where a family adopted him. He became an influential leader among the Mohawk and distinguished himself as a warrior for the French during the French and Indian War. Cook was also an Iroquois leader and commissioned officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution.
He fought for the colonies and collaborated with George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and Philip Schuyler. He participated in the Battle of Oriskany, the Saratoga Campaign, the Battle of Klock’s Field, and the Battle of Johnstown. Cook eventually became a Lieutenant Colonel in the Continental Army, the highest rank awarded to any Native American during the Revolution. Later in life, he took part in Oneida land negotiations. Joseph Louis Cook died in October 1814 following the Army into Canada during the Battle of Lundy’s Lane.
