450 Whose Revolution? The Delaware and the War for Independence

In December 1776, a Delaware Chief named White Eyes stood before the Second Continental Congress. He had not come to declare himself a revolutionary, nor had he come to pledge his loyalty to King George III. White Eyes came to test a promise.

What does the American Revolution look like to people for whom independence was never a question? For the Delaware, also known as the Lenape, the War for Independence raised older and harder questions:

Whose word could be trusted? What choices can we make about whether to fight, stay neutral, or flee that might let our community remain itself on the land we know?

Jeremy Johnson, Cultural Education Director for the Delaware Tribe of Indians, traces Lenape and Delaware history from long before European contact through the American Revolution. He also introduces us to the September 1778 Treaty of Fort Pitt, the first treaty the United States made with a Native Nation and which promised a 14th Native state.

Delaware Tribe of Indians’ Website

Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/450

EPISODE OUTLINE

00:00:00 Introduction

00:02:35 The Lenape Experience of the American Revolution

00:07:56 Lenape History and Indigenous Origin Stories

00:10:52 Diplomacy in Lenape Traditions

00:15:32 Evolution of Lenape Diplomacy Through European Contact