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Words of Chief Teedyuscung

Good and evil cannot dwell together in the same heart, so a good man ought not to go into evil

company.

The Treaty of Easton, 1758, showed promises, reconciliation, and a future where two diverse

societal groups could co-exist. There were fair exchanges for both sides, the British barring

settlement beyond the Allegheny Mountains, all tribes agreeing not to support the French in

return for the promise of the right to settle in the Ohio Valley. The tribes received payment for

purchase of the New Jersey land. There were not many Native allies until the Treaty of Easton.

There was optimism, a new hope for peace between the aboriginal people and the struggling

colonists. All this fell by the wayside with the colonists pushing to settle further into new

territory. Settlers ignored the Proclamation of 1763 and the British were unable to enforce the

original land agreements. The British were not as generous with trading as the French had been

with the tribes. Uprisings, (King Phillips War of 1764), and a turbulent frontier were what was

left.
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Deborah Walker

Professor Tomlinson

HIST 151

8 October 2017

Treaty of Easton

The Easton Treaty was an attempt both by the American colonists and the Indians to resolve

the conflicts, save human lives, retain cultural identity, and most important to both sides settle

territorial disputes that was creating this destruction. Each article I read had a slightly different

take on what transpired during the conference that ended with the Treaty of Easton being made.

The gathering at the conference, which was held between 1755 and 1758, included

Pennsylvania and New Jersey governors, Iroquois leaders, an eastern Delaware headman, a

Quaker supporter, and British representation. Thirteen Indian nations were represented,

(Kummerow). In attendance was William Denny a Pennsylvania governor who encouraged a

council fire, a ceremonial fire kept burning during this council for the benefit of the Indians.

William Denny also got the Indian leader Teedyuscung under control after his drinking and

statements alienated the Iroquois. He meets with Teedyuscung without the Iroquois interfering.

Another representative that was present, Israel Pemberton a Quaker supporter, had a philosophy

that there should be peace with all Indian nations, even at the expense of certain figures present

(Kummerow). Sir William Johnson, British Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Northern

District used his ideas derived from the Covenant Chain, peace and friendship, (Albers). The
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Covenant Chain was a compilation of alliances and treaties between the Iroquois Confederacy,

other Native American Tribes and the British colonies of North America.

The Philadelphia Encyclopedia article, Native American-Pennsylvania Relations, 1754-89,

referred to the battles that went on between the Indians and colonists as, interracial violence in

early America. Cultural intolerance was considered another major issue in the battles between

the two. Pennsylvania colonists were racially-defined white and the Indians savage

(Shannon).

My favorite is some of the minutes recorded at the conference, (Merrell). There was much

formality that was displayed both by the colonists and the Indians. Teedyuscung, the eastern

Delaware headman, had much to say. The entries of his dialogue in the minutes made him sound

like a true negotiator, not a ranting drunk as Kummerow described.

The ending of this conference was somewhat like a movie ending. The Western Delaware

Leader Pisqutomen and the envoy Christian Frederick Post came to the conference bearing the

good news that the Western Indians would stop warring with the British as long as the British

kept away from their ancestral hunting lands. This encouraged better negotiations and the Treaty

of Easton was made on October 26, 1758, (Kummerow). Unfortunately the Pennsylvania

colonists pushed westward and made settlements in the Ohio Valley. The British did nothing to

stop this, (Albers).

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Treaty of Easton: An Annotated Bibliography

Albers, Gretchen. Hall, Anthony. Easton Treaty. The Canadian Encyclopedia. 30 Jul. 2014

The Canadian Encyclopedia information on the Easton Treaty agrees with other historians that

the outcome and benefit of this treaty was to ensure that Indigenous lands would be

protected from being overtaken by Anglo-American colonists. The article names another

figure in the success of the treaty, a Sir William Johnson, British Superintendent of

Indian Affairs in the Northern District, utilized the ideas set forth in the Covenant Chain,

peace and friendship and those were to last forever. Influence also came from Quaker

pacifists, represented by Israel Pemberton. In summary however, these ideals were not

practiced. The colonial people of Pennsylvania did make settlements in the Ohio Valley,

which the British ignored. Discontent among the Aboriginal peoples escalated into war,

Pontiacs War and ended with an Indian Bill of Rights stating to make good on the

promises of the Easton Treaty.

Kummerow, Burton. Treaty of Easton gives sides new hope for peace. Pittsburghtrib News.

19 Oct. 2008.

Author and historian Burton Kummerow, in his article Treaty of Easton gives sides new hop for

peace, recaps the Treaty of Easton gathering. He brings to the forefront the major

players, those being the Pennsylvania and New Jersey governors, the eastern Delaware

headman, Teedyuscung, Quaker supporter, Israel Pemberton, western Delaware leader

Pisquetomen, and three leaders representing the Iroquois. The grievances, mainly

territorial issues, continued to be unresolved during the discussions until two messengers

came in to the council to save the day as it was. Western Delaware leader Pisquetomen
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and envoy Christian Frederick Post bearing the news that the Western Indians would stop

warring with the British as long as the British kept away from their ancestral hunting

lands. The meeting wrapped up on October 26 1758. The results were later shared with

General John Forbes who was occupying Loyalhanna.

Merrell, James H. Easton Treaty Texts July and November 1756. William and Mary

Quarterly. Volume LXIII Number 4. Omolundro Institute of Early American History and

Culture. 2006.

The Easton Treaty Texts of July and November 1756, edited by James H. Merrell, gave me a

different insight on the conference. This article contained various excerpts from the

actual meeting notes that were recorded at that time. I used this not to get a description

of the historical events but more to provide me an understanding as if I had actually been

there at the conference. The formality of colonist speakers and Indians alike was all

throughout these meeting notes. Each side admitted some fault and a willingness to

cooperate. Was this just an effort to be polite during the conference? The results, shown

from the other articles, show there was deception from some colonists.

Shannon, Timothy. Native American-Pennsylvania Relations, 1754-89. Philadelphia

Encyclopedia. 2015.

The Philadelphia Encyclopedia, in the article Native American-Pennsylvania Relations, 1754-89,

starts out by saying that the native people were eventually displaced by the latter half of

the eighteenth century. Battles were referred to as, interracial violence in early

America, (Philadelphia Encyclopedia). Territorial disputes and wars before and after
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the Treaty of Easton are described. The Treaty of Easton, according to this Encyclopedia

article, did result in ending Pennsylvanias Indian war because it was agreed that the

British would remove themselves from the Ohio country after the French were defeated.

The article emphasizes that cultural differences were causing much discord even after the

treaty. Pennsylvania colonists were racially-defined white and the Indians savage

(Philadelphia Encyclopedia).