Lappawinsoe was a

Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...

chief. His name signifies "gathering fruit" or "going away to gather food". Lappawinsoe sold the land of his tribe to Thomas Penn (1702-1775), and

John Penn ("the American") John Penn (January 28, 1700 – October 25, 1746) was a proprietor of the colonial Province of Pennsylvania (later the American state – the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania after 1776). He was the eldest son of the colony's founder, William Penn (1 ...

(1700-1746), the sons of

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...

(1644-1718), the founder, with moderate Quaker philosophies of the Colony and Province of Pennsylvania in 1681 (later the American state –

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

after 1776), through the controversial and disputed

Walking Purchase The Walking Purchase (or Walking Treaty) was a 1737 agreement between the Penn family, the original proprietors of the Province of Pennsylvania, later the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Lenape native Indians (also known as the Delaware In ...

treaty agreement of 1737. Three other

Lenape-Delaware The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...

chiefs also signed the agreement: Tishecunk (sometimes referred to as Tishcohan, "tash-suk-amen" meaning "he never blackens himself"), Nutimus ("striker of fish with a spear") and Menakihikon ("a King of the Minissincks"). Documentation shows that Nutimus was considered the principal Indian leader of the tribes located further southeast in the future

State of Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

Portrait

It is documented that Lappawinsoe was the first Native American who was portrayed in an oil painting. Lappawinsoe and Tishecunk are considered "the only two chiefs of the Lenni Lenape whose portraits have been preserved". In his portrait, Lappawinsoe is shown as a muscular man of about 40 years of age. Further descriptions of the painting focus on the tattoos on Lappawinsoe's face and neck as well as on the pouch he is wearing. The pouch is compared to the one worn by Tishcohan in his respective painting. The tattoos on Lappawinsoe's forehead symbolize two thunderbirds and a snake or serpent. Body tattoos are used to represent information about the person's character and their beliefs. The Thunderbird is considered a "powerful spirit being" and signifies an "active and swift-footed warrior".

Walking Purchase Agreement

In 1737, Lappawinsoe signed the

agreement to sell part of his tribe's land in the eastern border area of the colonial Province of Pennsylvania along the upper northern reaches of the Delaware River with the neighboring

West New Jersey West Jersey and East Jersey were two distinct parts of the Province of New Jersey. The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702. Determination of an exact location for a border between West Jersey and East Jersey was often ...

colonial grant further east of the

Province of New Jersey The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1783. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland but came under English rule after t ...

(later after the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

(1775–1783) as the State of New Jersey) "extending as far west as a man could walk in a day and a half". An attributed quote states: "Chief Lappawinsoe, believing the treaty genuine and assuming a man could only walk about 40 miles, agreed to the Walk!". William Penn's sons, Thomas Penn (1702–1775) and John Penn (1700–1746), convinced the Lenape that their father had already bought the land from them. Contrary to Lenape believe, the two brothers Thomas Penn, John Penn - ("the American") and provincial official James Logan had arranged and hired fast runners to run a prepared path which resulted in a scheme for a bigger landloss for the Lenape than they had ever imagined. Edward Marshall, one of the three walkers and the only one who completed the full walk, states in a testimony in 1751 that Lappawinsoe was living in the Indian town Hockendocqua (also referred to as Hociundoquen). When he was passing the place during the walk asking Lappawinsoe for an Indian to come with him, he said "they had got all the best land, and they might go to the Devil for the bad" and that he would send no Indian with them. Furthermore, Lappawinsoe is said to have described the walk as not "fairly performed" and "no sit down to smoke, no shoot a squirrel, but ''lun, lun, lun'' all day long!" The Lenni Lenape had a longtime friendly relationship with

, including several fair treaties they made with him. Over the years, this led to a good reputation of the Pennsylvania government among the Lenape people. Part of the reason the Lenape chiefs signed the

treaty was also to honor this peaceful relationship with William Penn who had died 19 years before.

Quotation

he white runnersshould have walkt along by the River Delaware or the next Indian path to it… should have walkt for a few Miles and then have sat down and smoakt a Pipe, and now and then have shot a Squirrel, and not have kept up the Run, Run all day.

References

{{Reflist Native American leaders Lenape people 18th-century Native Americans People of colonial Pennsylvania Native American people from Pennsylvania

Portrait

Walking Purchase Agreement

Quotation

See also

References