Tamaqua or Tamaque, also known as The Beaver and King Beaver ( – 1769 or 1771), was a leading man of the

Unalachtigo The Unalachtigo were a purported division of the Lenape (Delaware Indians), a Native American tribe whose homeland '' Lenapehoking'' was in what is today the Northeastern United States. They were part of the Forks Indians.Goddard, "Delaware," 23 ...

(Turkey)

phratry In ancient Greece, a phratry ( grc, φρᾱτρῐ́ᾱ, phrātríā, brotherhood, kinfolk, derived from grc, φρᾱ́τηρ, phrā́tēr, brother, links=no) was a group containing citizens in some city-states. Their existence is known in most I ...

of the

Lenape people 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 includ ...

. Although the Iroquois in 1752 had appointed

Shingas Shingas ( fl. 17401763), was a Lenape chief and warrior who participated in military activities in Ohio Country during the French and Indian War. Allied with the French, Shingas led numerous raids on Anglo-American settlements during the war, for ...

chief of the Lenape at the Treaty of Logstown, after the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

Tamaqua rose in prominence through his active role as peace negotiator, and was acknowledged by many Lenape as their "king" or chief spokesman.Sipe, Chester Hale. ''The Indian chiefs of Pennsylvania, or, A story of the part played by the American Indian in the history of Pennsylvania: based primarily on the Pennsylvania archives and colonial records, and built around the outstanding chiefs.'' Butler, PA: Zeigler Press, 1880.
/ref> He was among the first to hand over English captives at the end of the French and Indian War and was active in peace negotiations at the conclusion of

Pontiac's War Pontiac's War (also known as Pontiac's Conspiracy or Pontiac's Rebellion) was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of Native Americans dissatisfied with British rule in the Great Lakes region following the French and Indian War (1754–176 ...

. By 1758, he was recognized as one of three principal leaders of the Lenape, being the primary spokesman for the western Lenape in the Ohio Country. He founded the town of

Tuscarawas, Ohio Tuscarawas ( ), originally Trenton, is a village in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,056 at the 2010 census. History According to Chester Hale Sipe (1880), the town was founded in 1756 by Tamaqua, also known as Kin ...

in 1756 and died there in 1769 or 1771.

Birth and early life

Tamaqua was born and raised in the Tulpehocken Creek Valley, in Berks and

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

counties, on the upper

Schuylkill River The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It fl ...

, with his uncle

Sassoonan Sassoonan or Allumapees (c. 1675 - 15 October, 1747) was a Lenni Lenape chief who lived in Pennsylvania in the late 17th and early 18th century. He was known for his negotiations with the Provincial government of Pennsylvania in several land purc ...

(Allumapees) and his brothers

Nenatcheehunt Nenatcheehunt (d. 30 April, 1763), also spelled Nenacheehunt, or Nenatchehan, and sometimes referred to as Menatochyand, was a Lenape chief known for participating in peace negotiations at the end of the French and Indian War. He is referred to a ...

, and

Pisquetomen Pisquetomen (died ca. 1762)Michael McConnell, "Pisquetomen and Tamaqua: Mediating Peace in the Ohio Country," in ''Northeastern Indian Lives, 1632-1816,'' Robert S. Grumet ed., Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1996
/ref> One source reports that Tamaqua had six brothers (Pisquetoman, Nenatcheehunt, Shingas, Buffalo Horn, Munhuttakiswilluxissohpon, and Miuskillamize).Timothy Alden, "An Account of the Captivity of Hugh Gibson among the Delaware Indians of the Big Beaver and the Muskingum, from the latter part of July 1756, to the beginning of April, 1759," ''Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society,'' 1837
/ref> He was probably a son of Sassoonan's sister, and a grandson of

Tamanend Tamanend (historically also known as Taminent, Tammany, Saint Tammany or King Tammany, "the Affable," ) (–) was the Chief of Chiefs and Chief of the Turtle Clan of the Lenni-Lenape nation in the Delaware Valley signing the Peace Treaty with ...

.Charles Augustus Hanna, ''The Wilderness Trail: Or, The Ventures and Adventures of the Pennsylvania Traders on the Allegheny Path,'' Volume 1, Putnam's sons, 1911
/ref> After the Lenape were forced off the Tulpehocken lands in 1732, he lived for a time at the mouth of the Beaver River (near the present-day city of

Beaver, Pennsylvania Beaver is a borough in and the county seat of Beaver County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is located at the confluence of the Beaver and Ohio Rivers, approximately northwest of Pittsburgh. As of the 2020 census, the borough population ...

), then at Kittanning, Saucunk and

Kuskusky "at the falls, by the falls or rapids" unm, kwësh-kwëshelxus-kee "hogs" + -kee (suffix used in place names) "Hogs Town" , settlement_type = Historic Native American village , image_skyline = , imagesize = , ima ...

, and later at Tuscarawas. One source reports that Tamaqua had a son, who took Hugh Gibson captive in July, 1756, outside Robinson's Fort near present-day

Southwest Madison Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania Southwest Madison Township is a township in Perry County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,020 at the 2020 census. History The Adairs Covered Bridge and Bistline Covered Bridge are listed on the National Register of Historic Pl ...

.Timothy Alden, "An Account of the Captivity of Hugh Gibson among the Delaware Indians of the Big Beaver and the Muskingum, from the latter part of July 1756, to the beginning of April, 1759," ''Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society,'' 1837
/ref> Tamaqua's name, sometimes spelled "Tamakwa" or "Tamaque", derives from the Lenni-Lenape word for "beaver," ''tëmakwe''.

Rise to prominence as Lenape spokesman

Tamaqua first appears in colonial records during talks at Logstown on May 28, 1751, a preliminary to the Logstown Treaty Conference of 1752. Since the death of Sassoonan in 1747, the Lenape had been without a leader. Sassoonan had designated Pisquetomen as his successor, but the Pennsylvania authorities had rejected him. Pennsylvania had recommended Lappapitton, but Lappapitton had declined.

George Croghan George Croghan (c. 1718 – August 31, 1782) was an Irish-born fur trader in the Ohio Country of North America (current United States) who became a key early figure in the region. In 1746 he was appointed to the Onondaga Council, the governin ...

, speaking on behalf of the Six Nations and Governor Hamilton, asked the Lenape to "choose amongst Yourselves one of your wisest Counsellors and present to your Brethren the Six Nations and me amiltonfor a Chief, and he so chosen by you shall be looked upon by us as your King."Weslager, Clinton Alfred. ''The Delaware Indians: A History.'' Rutgers University Press, 1989.
/ref> Tamaqua knew the importance of a leader who would represent all Lenape, east and west, and would negotiate their concerns with the Six Nations and Pennsylvania. He reminded

Andrew Montour Andrew Montour ( – 1772), also known as Sattelihu, Eghnisara,Hagedorn, 57 and Henry,Montour was also called Henry, possibly due to the similarity of sound with the French ''"Andre".'' was an important mixed Language interpretation, interpr ...

that "it would take some time to consider on a Man that was fit to undertake to rule a Nation of People" such as the Lenape, "but that as soon as possible they would make a selection." He also wanted a leader who was not opposed by the Pennsylvania-Six Nations alliance. Under pressure from both the Six Nations and the colonial authorities,

Tanacharison Tanacharison (; c. 1700 – 4 October 1754), also called Tanaghrisson (), was a Native American leader who played a pivotal role in the beginning of the French and Indian War. He was known to European-Americans as the Half-King, a title also ...

presented

as his choice at the Logstown Treaty Conference in June, 1752, arguing "that is our right to give you a King" to represent the Lenape in "all publick Business" between the Lenape, the Six Nations, and the British."The Treaty of Logg's Town, 1752." ''Virginia Magazine of History and Biography,'' vol. 13, 1906; Pp 154–174.
/ref> Tanacharison announced, "we have given our Cousins, the Delawars, a King, who lives there, we desire you will look upon him as a Chief of that Nation." Shingas was absent from the treaty conference, so Tamaqua "stood proxy for his brother and was presented with a lace hat and jacket and suit."

Meeting at Aughwick, 1754

In July, 1754, the Iroquois at the

Albany Congress The Albany Congress (June 19 – July 11, 1754), also known as the Albany Convention of 1754, was a meeting of representatives sent by the legislatures of seven of the 13 British colonies in British America: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, ...

ceded large areas of western Pennsylvania, where many Lenape were living, to the Pennsylvania colonial government, without consulting the Lenape. In August, 1754 over two hundred Ohio Indians met at George Croghan’s home at Aughwick, to complain about this act, which would force the Lenape to move westward into French territory.Grimes, Richard S., "The emergence and decline of the Delaware Indian nation in western Pennsylvania and the Ohio country, 1730--1795," Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports, 2005. 4150
/ref> Tamaqua addressed both

Conrad Weiser Conrad Weiser (November 2, 1696 – July 13, 1760), born Johann Conrad Weiser, Jr., was a Pennsylvania Dutch (German) pioneer who served as an interpreter and diplomat between the Pennsylvania Colony and Native American nations. Primarily a fa ...

, who was acting in the capacity of a representative of Pennsylvania governor

Robert Hunter Morris Robert Hunter Morris ( – 27 January 1764), was a prominent governmental figure in Colonial Pennsylvania, serving as governor of Pennsylvania and Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. Early life and education Morris was born in ...

, and the Six Nations, reminding them of their obligations and that the Lenape looked to the Iroquois for protection. He also noted that it was the Six Nations who had forbidden them to "mettle with Warrs." Tamaqua pleaded that because of the French presence in the Ohio country, "we desire you therefore Uncle to have your Eyes open, and be Watchful over us your Cousins, as you have always been heretofore." Tamaqua insisted that if the Iroquois could not protect the Lenape from the French, then they should permit the Lenape to pick up a hatchet and defend themselves. Tamaqua then reminded Weiser of Pennsylvania’s fair treatment of his people from the time "William Penn first appeared in his Ship on our Lands" and was accepted by the Lenape and Five Nations into a union of "lasting Friendship." He asked Weiser to tell Governor Morris that "we desire that you will look upon us in the same Light, and let that Treaty of Friendship made by our Forefathers on both sides subsist." Tamaqua knew that western Lenape would not tolerate colonial settlements in the Ohio country. He hoped to prevent conflict by appealing to Pennsylvania to remember its traditions and history of fair treatment towards the Lenape. To avoid war with Pennsylvania, he was willing to acknowledge subservience to the Six Nations in hopes that they would intervene with Pennsylvania on behalf of the Lenape. Weiser's response to Tamaqua was to dismiss the Ohio Indians, saying that they "had no business at the Treaty, and the Six Nations always declared them Hunters, and no owners of Land," meaning that the Ohio country was only a hunting domain of the Indians, not a homeland. The meeting concluded with the western Lenape deeply dissatisfied and ready to form an alliance with the French.

Role during the French and Indian war

After Shingas was declared leader of the western Lenape, relations with the Pennsylvania Provincial Council began to deteriorate. In 1755,

General Edward Braddock Major-general (United Kingdom), Major-General Edward Braddock (January 1695 – 13 July 1755) was a British officer and commander-in-chief for the Thirteen Colonies during the start of the French and Indian War (1754–1763), the North American f ...

told Shingas that only "the English Should Inhabit & Inherit the Land," adding that "No Savage Should Inherit the Land," and that he did not need the help of the Lenape to drive the French out.Colin Gordon Calloway, ''The Indian World of George Washington: The First President, the First Americans, and the Birth of the Nation,'' Oxford University Press, 2018
In response, many Lenape Indians joined the war against Pennsylvania and the English after Braddock's defeat at the

Battle of the Monongahela The Battle of the Monongahela (also known as the Battle of Braddock's Field and the Battle of the Wilderness) took place on 9 July 1755, at the beginning of the French and Indian War, at Braddock's Field in what is now Braddock, Pennsylvania, ea ...

on 9 July, 1755. In September, 1755, Tamaqua joined Shingas, Captain Jacob, and 150 Shawnees and Canadians in an attack on

Fort Cumberland A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

in Maryland. He is known to have led a band of Lenape warriors in the assault and capture of Fort Bigham on June 11-12, 1756, in which 19 civilians were killed and five captured. After this, however, he withdrew from the war parties and remained at Kittanning in an administrative role. His nonparticipation in the war lent him greater credibility in later years during peace negotiations, whereas Shingas and Pisquetomen were both remembered for their raids on Pennsylvania settlements.McConnell, Michael N., "The search for security: Indian-English relations in the Trans-Appalachian region, 1758-1763" (1983). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539623738.
/ref>

Role as a negotiator

Tamaqua was living at Kittanning when it was destroyed in September, 1756.William Albert Hunter, "Victory at Kittanning," ''Pennsylvania History,'' vol. 23, no. 3, July 1956; pp 376-407
/ref> He then moved to Ohio and established the town of Tuscarawas, which was initially known as "Beaver's Town," and later, "King Beaver's Town." Shingas feared for his life when the Pennsylvania government placed a £200 bounty on his head in 1756, and relinquished his position to Tamaqua. Soon after, the Lenape began negotiating with the Pennsylvania authorities. From 1756 through 1758, the leaders of the western Lenape, Netawatwees and Tamaqua, cooperated in seeking a resolution to the frontier conflict. By 1758 Tamaqua was being referred to as "King Beaver" and his name tended to head the list of Ohio Lenape leaders. From the summer of 1758 through 1762, Tamaqua appears most frequently as chief spokesman for the Ohio Indians, and the prime movers behind peace initiatives were the Lenape associated with Tamaqua. Communications between Philadelphia and the Lenape began to go directly to Tamaqua, in spite of

Teedyuscung Teedyuscung (c. 1700–1763) was known as "King of the Delawares". He worked to establish a permanent Lenape (Delaware) home in eastern Pennsylvania in the Lehigh, Susquehanna, and Delaware River valleys. Teedyuscung participated in the Treaty ...

's self-proclaimed status as official negotiator. In 1758,

Christian Frederick Post Christian Frederick Post (an anglicanization of Christian Friedrich Post) (1710 Polish Prussia - 29 April 1785 Germantown, Pennsylvania) was a missionary of the Moravian Church to the indigenous peoples of the Americas who played a brief but signi ...

spent most of his time at Tamaqua’s home in

, and both Tamaqua and Pisquetomen served as his hosts and protectors. Tamaqua was sensitive to his sudden rise in influence, and in August, 1758, he made a point of complaining that peace negotiations were undermined by the advance of Forbes' army to Loyalhanna (to begin construction of

Fort Ligonier Fort Ligonier is a British fortification from the French and Indian War located in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, United States. The fort served as a staging area for the Forbes Expedition of 1758. During the eight years of its existence as a garrison, F ...

), noting that "if you had brought the news of peace before your army had begun to march, it would have caused a great deal more good." Tamaqua was also anxious to obtain a guarantee that the English would prevent colonial settlers from moving into Lenape territory, a concern voiced by Pisquetomen when he asked two British soldiers who accompanied Christian Frederick Post, "...whether the General will claim the land as his own, when he should drive the French away."Reuben Gold Thwaites, ed. "The journal of Christian Frederick Post, in his journey from Philadelphia to the Ohio, on a message from the government of Pennsylvania to the Delaware, Shawanese and Mingo Indians settled there, and formerly in alliance with the English," in ''Early Western Journals 1748-1765,'' Cleveland: Arthur H. Clark, 1904
/ref>

Participation at the Treaty of Easton conference, 1758

At the

Treaty of Easton The Treaty of Easton was a colonial agreement in North America signed in October 1758 during the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War) between British colonials and the chiefs of 13 Native American nations, representing tribes of the Iroquois, ...

conference in November, 1758, Tamaqua agreed to carry word of the treaty to the Indians living beyond the Ohio, but asked that the English "after having drive away the French, not settle there." During the conference, Tamaqua objected to the request by Christian Frederick Post that they discuss the release of white prisoners held in Lenape communities: "it appears very odd and unreasonable that oushould demand prisoners before there is an established peace; since an unreasonable demand makes us appear as if we wanted brains." After the conclusion of the war, he co-operated with Colonel Henry Bouquet in the return of white prisoners. In the following months through the spring of 1759, Tamaqua worked to arrange councils, meeting with

Kickapoos The Kickapoo people ( Kickapoo: ''Kiikaapoa'' or ''Kiikaapoi''; es, Kikapú) are an Algonquian-speaking Native American and Indigenous Mexican tribe, originating in the region south of the Great Lakes. Today, three federally recognized Kickap ...

and

Kaskaskia The Kaskaskia were one of the indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands. They were one of about a dozen cognate tribes that made up the Illiniwek Confederation, also called the Illinois Confederation. Their longstanding homeland was in t ...

s from the Illinois country as well as Indians from throughout the Great Lakes to communicate the substance of the Easton Treaty and Bouquet's messages. In meetings with colonial authorities, Tamaqua served as principal Indian spokesman who would establish the agenda on behalf of other Native participants and often opened the proceedings. Tamaqua also promoted renewed trade, as the war had disrupted trade networks and the Lenape, like most other Native Americans east of the Mississippi, were now largely dependent on manufactured trade goods. At a meeting in February 1759, Tamaqua emphasized the importance of trade relations in establishing peace, and brought several of his own warriors "with their Skins and Furrs, in hopes that the Goods which you promised to send to trade with us are come." Traders such as James Kenney were soon sent with trade goods to revive the fur trade and reaffirm the good relationship between Philadelphia and the Lenape.

Meetings with Hugh Mercer, 1759

On 7 February 1759, Colonel

Hugh Mercer Hugh Mercer (16 January 1726 – 12 January 1777) was a Scottish-born American military officer and physician who participated in the Seven Years' War and Revolutionary War. Born in Pitsligo, Scotland, he studied medicine in his home country ...

received a report from a

Mohican The Mohican ( or , alternate spelling: Mahican) are an Eastern Algonquian Native American tribe that historically spoke an Algonquian language. As part of the Eastern Algonquian family of tribes, they are related to the neighboring Lenape, who ...

scout that he had observed "at the Salt Spring above Kaskaskias uskuskiesa large number of

rench The Rench is a right-hand tributary of the Rhine in the Ortenau (Baden (Land), Central Baden, Germany). It rises on the southern edge of the Northern Black Forest at Kniebis near Bad Griesbach im Schwarzwald. The source farthest from the mouth is ...

troops." Mercer then held an important council with the Delawares at Fort Pitt. At that time, Tamaqua was living at Saucunk (close to the site of present-day Pittsburgh). At this council on February 24th, he announced that the Delawares wanted to move in order to avoid any fighting between the French and the British, stating, "The Six Nations and you desire that I would sit down and smoke my pipe at Kuskusky. I tell you this that you may think no ill of my removing from Saucunk to Kuskusky, for it is at the great desire of my brothers, the English, and my uncles, the Six Nations, and there I shall always hear your words." Mercer reportedly replied, "Your Brothers, the English, desire to see you live in Peace and Happiness, either at Saucunk, Kuskusky, or wherever you think proper, and by no means intend to Limit you to one Place or another."Joseph M. Bausman, ''History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania and Its Centennial Celebration,'' vol. 1, New York: The Knickerbocker Press, 1904
/ref> In July and August of 1759,

and Colonel Hugh Mercer held a council at the newly-constructed Fort Pitt. The council included over 500 Natives, mostly Lenape, but also delegates from the Detroit Wyandots and the Ohio Iroquois. Tamaqua, accompanied by Shingas,

Keekyuscung Keekyuscung (died 6 August, 1763) aka Kickyuscung, Kaquehuston, Kikyuskung, Ketiuscund, Kekeuscund, or Ketiushund, was a Delaware (Lenape) chief. In the 1750s he took part in peace negotiations to end Lenape participation in the French and Indian ...

Guyasuta Guyasuta (c. 1725–c. 1794; see, Kayahsotaˀ, either "he stands up to the cross" or "he sets up the cross") was an important Native American leader of the Seneca people in the second half of the eighteenth century, playing a central role i ...

, Killbuck, and

Captain Pipe Captain Pipe (c. 1725? – c. 1818?) ( Lenape), called Konieschquanoheel and also known as Hopocan in Lenape, was an 18th-century Head Peace chief of the Algonquian-speaking Lenape (Delaware) and War Chief 1778+. He succeeded his maternal u ...

, was the principal speaker on the Indian side. Speaking for both his own Lenape followers and their allies, he reaffirmed their commitment to peace. As the release of white captives held in Native communities was a major demand of the Pennsylvania authorities, Tamaqua took the initiative by releasing two female captives. To emphasize the difficulty of giving up captives who had been adopted into the tribe, Tamaqua referred to them as "my Mother" and "my Sister." Finally, Tamaqua asked the English to show their sincerity by keeping the

Catawba Catawba may refer to: *Catawba people, a Native American tribe in the Carolinas *Catawba language, a language in the Catawban languages family *Catawban languages Botany *Catalpa, a genus of trees, based on the name used by the Catawba and other N ...

Indians (longtime enemies of the Ohio and Lakes Indians) out of the Ohio country. An official peace was concluded on September 13, 1759.Grimes, Richard S. ''The Western Delaware Indian Nation, 1730–1795: Warriors and Diplomats.'' Lehigh University Press, 2017.
/ref>

Role as negotiator after Pontiac's War

Relations between the Lenape and British troops occupying the Ohio country quickly deteriorated, as colonial settlers quickly began to occupy Indian hunting grounds and the widespread sale of alcohol led to drunken brawls, theft and hostility. In response, the British government authorized Commander-in-Chief Sir Jeffrey Amherst and to enact a new, restrictive trade policy that banned the sale and trading of alcohol to Indians, and restricted such trade goods as muskets, powder, knives, tomahawks, razors--anything that could be used as weapons against British forces on the frontier. Lenape tensions were fueled by the 1763 Pontiac Rebellion, which unified the western Indian nations into action. While Tamaqua and Shingas opposed the attacks against British forts and settlements in the Ohio, they could not persuade Lenape warriors to refrain from fighting. Lenape warriors, together with other western tribes, joined Ottawa leader

Pontiac Pontiac may refer to: *Pontiac (automobile), a car brand *Pontiac (Ottawa leader) ( – 1769), a Native American war chief Places and jurisdictions Canada *Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality ** Apostolic Vicariate of Pontiac, now the Roman Catholic D ...

and Seneca leader

and took control of ten out of the thirteen British forts they attacked and were particularly active in sieges against Fort Ligonier and Fort Pitt. Following the defeat of combined Native American forces at the

Battle of Bushy Run The Battle of Bushy Run was fought on August 5–6, 1763, in western Pennsylvania, between a British column under the command of Colonel Henry Bouquet and a combined force of Delaware, Shawnee, Mingo, and Huron warriors. This action occurred du ...

in August, 1763, Lenape warriors largely withdrew from the fighting. In November, 1764, Tamaqua and other leaders met with Colonel Bouquet at Fort Pitt.

Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet of New York ( – 11 July 1774), was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Ireland. As a young man, Johnson moved to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Royal Na ...

"The Papers of Sir William Johnson"
vol. V, Almon Lauber, Alexander Flick, eds. Albany: State University of New York, accessed 17 October 2021 Tamaqua agreed to release over eighty captives held by the Lenape. Tamaqua told Bouquet he hoped the Lenape would "embrace Peace once more with their Brethren" and to "now think of nothing but hunting, to exchange their Skins and Furs with their brethren for Cloathing." Tamaqua was recognized as one of the three Lenape leaders, together with

Netawatwees Netawatwees or King Newcomer (c. 1686–1776, Lenape) was Sachem (principle Chief) and spiritual leader of the Delaware. His name, meaning "skilled advisor" or "first in council," is spelled in a variety of ways including Netaut Twelement, Na-tau ...

and

Custaloga Custaloga, also known as Packanke, was a chief of the Delaware (Lenape) tribe in the mid-18th century. He was a member of the Wolf Clan through his mother. Captain Pipe was his nephew and succeeded him as chief. Life Little is known of the early ...

. After Bouquet’s military left the region in 1765, the three leaders called a western Lenape council meeting to discuss tribal concerns regarding a settlement with the British. Recognizing that trade would be crucial in improving relations, Tamaqua worked hard to reopen trading posts and revive the fur trade which had been disrupted by the two previous wars.

Later life and death

As of 1761, Tamaqua was living in Tuscarawas. James Kenny, a Quaker frontiersman who was hired by Israel Pemberton Jr. to bring supplies to the Lenape and Shawnee Indians in western Pennsylvania, describes him as "a steady, quiet, middle-aged man of a cheerfull disposition but low stature."John W. Jordan, ed., "Journal of James Kenny, 1761–1763," ''Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography,'' 37 (1913)
/ref> He also reports that Tamaqua was drinking heavily. In 1761 Kenny wrote in his journal: " receiv'd a Letter from Frederick Post dated ye 27th ulyat Tuscorawas Town, in which he informs me that...he was in fear some time ago when ye Beaver took Six Ceggs Rum there & they were Drunke Six Days." In September he writes that " heBeaver's family gets Rum at this place frequently & carries home by which ye Indians frequently get Drunk pawning their Clothes Wampum & all they have for it." In March, 1762, he writes: "The Beaver is returned & seems unwell & not so Cheerful as befor they went down, they seem half Snow'd with Rum." Sources differ on the date of Tamaqua's death. One source states that he died in 1769 in Gekelemukpechunk, near present-day

Newcomerstown, Ohio Newcomerstown is a village in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States, east-northeast of Columbus. In the late 1770s, this was the largest Delaware Indian village on the Tuscarawas River, with 700 residents. Chief Newcomer (''Netawatwes'') was t ...

Christopher Gist Christopher Gist (1706–1759) was an explorer, surveyor, and frontiersman active in Colonial America. He was one of the first white explorers of the Ohio Country (the present-day states of Ohio, eastern Indiana, western Pennsylvania, and nort ...

states that "he died about 1770, on the Muskingum, where the Moravian town of Gnadenhutten was built about two years afterwards."William M. Darlington, ed. ''Christopher Gist's Journals, with Historical, Geographical and Ethnological Notes and Biographies of His Contemporaries,'' Pittsburgh, J. R. Weldin & Co., 1893; Part 4: 1750-51
/ref> Another source claims:

As early as 1756, he established the town of Tuscarawas, on the river of the same name in Ohio, a town which was later known as King Beaver's Town. There he died in 1771, admonishing his people to accept Christianity. In the latter years of his life he had come under the influence of the
Moravians Moravians ( cs, Moravané or colloquially , outdated ) are a West Slavic ethnographic group from the Moravia region of the Czech Republic, who speak the Moravian dialects of Czech or Common Czech or a mixed form of both. Along with the Silesi ...
."

He was succeeded as leader of the western Lenape by Netawatwees, who was formally recognized during a Lenape council meeting at Newcomerstown in May, 1772.

Memorialization

diorama A diorama is a replica of a scene, typically a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum. Dioramas are often built by hobbyists as part of related hobbies such as military vehicle mode ...

depicting Tamaqua next to his canoe can be seen in the 18th century frontier exhibit at the

Fort Pitt Museum Fort Pitt Museum is an indoor/outdoor museum that is administered by the Senator John Heinz History Center in downtown Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers ...

. A plaque commemorating a 1758 treaty concluded at

by Christian Frederick Post and King Beaver (Tamaqua) was erected in 1925 at

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania Slippery Rock is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The population was 3,081 at the 2020 census. Slippery Rock is included in the Greater Pittsburgh Region. It is home to Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, attended by nearly 9,000 ...

by the Historical Society of Slippery Rock. The plaque refers to the treaty, mandating the retreat of Lenape Indians from Fort Duquesne, as "the most important treaty ever concluded with the North American Indians

hich Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...

made possible the winning of the French and Indian War."Slippery Rock Plaque
/ref>

External links

Marylynne Pitz, "18th-century diplomacy truly a work of art," ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', Thursday, March 22, 2001

Cindy Jo Popejoy, "Tamaqua The Great Peacemaker, Chief of the Delaware Nation," ''Spirits from the Heart,'' 2021

References

{{reflist Lenape people History of Pennsylvania Native American leaders 18th-century Native Americans Native American people from Pennsylvania Native American history of Pennsylvania