Eleazar Williams
Eleazar Williams was a 19th-century figure known for his work as an Episcopalian missionary and his controversial involvement with the Iroquois people. Born into a large family in Massachusetts, he was trained for missionary work and began his outreach to the Iroquois in 1812 under the American Board of Missions. During the War of 1812, he served the federal government in a role focused on Native American relations, which included scouting and overseeing the North Indian Department. Williams sought to relocate the Iroquois westward, collaborating with various entities to implement this plan, but faced significant challenges, including accusations of forgery and eventual rejection by the Iroquois community. In 1823, he moved to Wisconsin with some of the Iroquois he had converted, but abandoned his relocation efforts by 1832. Later in life, Williams made an improbable claim of being the lost Dauphin of France, Louis XVII, a notion that garnered support from certain contemporaries. His life and actions reflect complex interactions between indigenous communities and European settlers during a transformative period in American history.
Subject Terms
Eleazar Williams
- Born: May 1, 1788
- Birthplace: St. Regis, New York
- Died: August 28, 1858
- Place of death: Near Hogansburg, New York
Tribal affiliation: Mohawk
Significance: Williams was an influential missionary who used his position to persuade the Iroquois to establish a new empire west of Lake Michigan
One of thirteen children of Thomas and Mary Rice Williams, Eleazar Williams was placed in the care of Nathaniel Ely at Long Meadow, Massachusetts, where he was trained as an Episcopalian missionary. Between 1809 and 1812, he continued his studies with the Reverend Enoch Hale at Westhampton, Massachusetts. Sponsored by the American Board of Missions, in 1812 he began proselytizing among the Iroquois.
During the War of 1812, Williams served the federal government as superintendent general of the North Indian Department. He was also a scout.
With the Ogden Land Company, fellow missionaries, and the War Department, Williams collaborated in a scheme to relocate the Iroquois empire west of Lake Michigan. After forging Iroquois council members’ signatures, Williams left for Wisconsin in 1823, followed by the Oneidas and Mahicans, many of whom he had converted. Scorned by other Iroquois, Williams abandoned his plan in 1832.
Returning east in 1853, Williams claimed to be the lost Dauphin of France, Louis XVII. The Reverend John Hanson wrote The Lost Prince in support of Williams’ improbable claim.