Penn's Treaty

HIS FAMOUS TREATY with the Indians was made, on June 23d, 1683, on the banks of the Delaware, at Shackamaxon, afterward

Kensington, and now a part of the city of Philadelphia. Several meetings between the Quakers and Indians, to transfer land, took place beneath the spreading elm, where, in earlier times, the Indians had assembled on important events, and the name of the place signified, in the Indian language, "the locality of kings." Penn recognized the Indians as the owners of the land, and they were never molested by the red men.

William Penn came to America on the ship "Welcome," and arrived at Newcastle, Delaware, November 28th, 1682. His landing was made at Dock Creek. where the "Blue Anchor" tavern was erected, beyond which the first ten houses, known as "Budd's Long Row," were built. His first duty was the division of the Tand he had acquired as a "King's tenant" into Counties, and the appointment of judges and other officers. He selected as a site for his capital the neck of land that lies at the junction of Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers which he purchased from the Swedes, and to which he gave the name of Philadelphia.

He then devoted himself to his duties as governor and after the meeting of the general assembly of the province, at Newcastle, in May, 1684, he intrusted the government to a council, and in August returned to England, to settle the boundary dispute between Pennsylvania and Maryland, leaving a prosperous colony of

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seven thousand persons. In his farewell he writes: "And thou, Philadelphia, the virgin settlement of this province, named before thou wast born, what love, what care, what service, and what travail hath there been to bring thee forth and preserve thee from such as would abuse and defile thee! My soul prays to God for thee, that thou mayest stand in the day of trial, that thy children may be blessed of the Lord, and thy people saved by His power."

Penn returned to America on the "Canterbury," September 9th, 1699. Soon after his arrival the difficulties that had existed regarding the government of the province now disappeared, and peace prevailed throughout the colony. In 1701 a treaty was made with the Five Nations, and also one with the Potomac Indi ans, establishing commercial relations between the colonists and natives through authorized representatives. When a movement to put an end to all proprietary governments was instigated, Penn returned to England October 28th, 1701.