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The Columbiad · Character

Sir William Johnson

British superintendent of Indian affairs in the American colonies.

minor

Also known as Sir William

First appearance: book v

Sir William Johnson's tie to Herkimer is one of the pressures that moves The Columbiad—worth meeting in the text, not only on a cast list.

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With Herkimer (rivalry): Herkimer, an American militia leader, clashes with Sir William Johnson, a British loyalist and Iroquois ally, during the Revolution. With Christopher Columbus (social): Columbus and Sir William…

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The fuller portrait of Sir William Johnson sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Sir William Johnson in book v

Character Web

10 connections

A slice of how Sir William Johnson sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

HEHerkimerCCChristopher Co…BUBurgoyneCACarletonISIsabellaSWSir William Johnson

Relationship types

  • Rivalry
  • Social
  • Other

Character groups

  • Key Revolutionary Figures
  • Protagonist
  • Epic Cast of History

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupEscalationClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

In this climactic moment, Columbus reaches his emotional and psychological peak by confronting his deepest dou…

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Relationships

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Sir William Johnson in book v