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Great Lakes / Old NorthwestTreaty

Treaty with the Delawares (Treaty of Fort Pitt), 1778

In 1778 the Delaware agreed to let U.S. troops cross their country and join the war, and the United States guaranteed their territorial rights.

Signed
September 17, 1778
Senate
Ratified

What happened

On September 17, 1778, at Fort Pitt, Andrew and Thomas Lewis, commissioners of the United States, signed "articles of agreement and confederation" with Capt. White Eyes, Capt. John Kill Buck, Junior, and Capt. Pipe, deputies and chief men of the Delaware Nation. The United States was in the middle of the Revolutionary War. The treaty is a wartime alliance, not a land sale.

The text says the "most practicable way for the troops of the United States to some of the posts and forts is by passing through the country of the Delaware nation." The Delaware deputies agreed to "give a free passage through their country to the troops aforesaid," to supply them, and to join them with "such a number of their best and most expert warriors as they can spare." In return the United States agreed to build a fort at its own expense for the safety of Delaware old men, women and children while the warriors were away.

Article VI contains the land promise. The United States engaged "to guarantee to the aforesaid nation of Delawares, and their heirs, all their territorial rights in the fullest and most ample manner, as it hath been bounded by former treaties," as long as the Delaware held to the alliance. It also allowed other friendly tribes to join and "form a state whereof the Delaware nation shall be the head, and have a representation in Congress," provided Congress approved.

EBSCO says that White Eyes, who helped negotiate the treaty, was killed under ambiguous circumstances two months after it was signed.

Good to know. This treaty was approved by the Continental Congress, not the Senate.

Summarized with AI assistance from 4 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error

What the sources say, and how this was checked

Supported by the sources below; some details rest on one source.

  1. give a free passage through their country to the troops aforesaidTribal Treaties Database: Treaty with the Delawares (Treaty of Fort Pitt), 1778 (Oklahoma State University Libraries)
  2. guarantee to the aforesaid nation of Delawares, and their heirs, all their territorial rights in the fullest and most ample mannerTribal Treaties Database: Treaty with the Delawares (Treaty of Fort Pitt), 1778 (Oklahoma State University Libraries)
  3. form a state whereof the Delaware nation shall be the head, and have a representation in CongressTribal Treaties Database: Treaty with the Delawares (Treaty of Fort Pitt), 1778 (Oklahoma State University Libraries)
  4. just two months after its signing, White Eyes was killed under ambiguous circumstancesWhite Eyes (EBSCO Research Starters)

Research notes. The cited sources do not say what Congress did with the proposed Delaware state. The treaty was approved by the Continental Congress, not the Senate.

What happened next

Everything the record holds about this land and this treaty, in order: what earlier agreements said, what this one did, and what the United States, the courts and the nations did afterwards.

  1. 1778

    This treaty

    Signed

    In 1778 the Delaware agreed to let U.S. troops cross their country and join the war, and the United States guaranteed their territorial rights.

  2. 1778

    Promise broken

    Fort Pitt 1778: first U.S.-Indian treaty and the Delaware (Lenape) statehood clause

    The 1778 Fort Pitt treaty guaranteed Delaware territorial rights; a 1795 cession and an 1866 sale of the Kansas reserve followed.

Who is doing the work today

The nations connected to this treaty come first, then groups returning land and defending treaty rights. Support goes directly to them.

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Working with these nations

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Sources

  1. digitreaties.org/treaties/treaty/176316991reference work
Research notes

First treaty between the United States (Continental Congress) and a Native nation. Approved by Congress, not the Senate (pre-Constitution). Wikipedia states the statehood provision was never fulfilled. Stat. page from Stat. vol. 7 index; Kappler page from OSU URL slug.

Shapes are approximate and are not legal descriptions of land, title or jurisdiction.