The Treaty of Fort Pitt is signed

The Break With the Old Order

On September 17, 1778, the Treaty of Fort Pitt was signed at Fort Pitt in Pennsylvania, marking the first formal agreement between the new United States of America and any Native American groups. This document established a military alliance with the Lenape, a nation referred to by white settlers as the Delaware. The signing concluded a period of diplomatic efforts that began when the Continental Army planned an expedition against the British at Detroit, a route that required crossing the Ohio Valley where Lenape tribes resided.

The Continental Congress had appointed three diplomatic commissioners to secure free passage for American forces through Lenape territory. These negotiations, which started after the commissioners arrived in Pittsburgh in March 1778, resulted in a formal treaty rather than an informal agreement. The event represented a significant shift in diplomatic relations, as it was the first instance of a formal document being produced between the fledgling United States and a Native American nation during the American Revolutionary War.

Voices From the Moment

The negotiations were conducted by Koquethaqechton, Hopocan, and Gelelemend on the Lenape side, while Andrew Lewis and Thomas Lewis represented the United States. To demonstrate goodwill, Congress had appropriated $10,000 to purchase trade goods for the Lenape. During the discussions, the Lenape presented the Lewis brothers with a belt of white wampum that depicted the 13 United States and the Lenape nation in a visual chain of alliance, a symbolic tool used in treaty-making to show kinship.

Brigadier General Lachlan McIntosh, Colonel Daniel Brodhead, and Colonel William Crawford witnessed the signing. The agreement granted the United States permission to travel through Lenape territory and called on the Lenape to provide aid to American troops in their war against Great Britain. In exchange, the United States promised articles of clothing, utensils, and implements of war, along with the construction of a fort in Delaware country to protect non-combatants while their warriors engaged the common enemy.

Recognition, Resistance, and First Consequences

The Lenape were required to afford American troops whatever aid they might require, including the participation of Lenape warriors in the war against Great Britain. This military obligation was central to the Continental Army's strategy, as the United States was planning to attack the British fort at Detroit and considered Lenape assistance essential for success. The agreement thus bound the two parties into a shared military effort beyond the simple permission to cross territory.

In return for this alliance, the United States committed to providing articles of clothing, utensils, and implements of war. The treaty also included a specific promise to build a fort in Delaware country, intended for the better security of the old men, women, and children while their warriors were engaged against the common enemy. Although not part of the signed document, the commissioners pointed out the American alliance with France and intended that the Lenape would become active allies in the broader conflict.

The signing of the Treaty of Fort Pitt was witnessed by Brigadier General Lachlan McIntosh, Colonel Daniel Brodhead, and Colonel William Crawford, formalizing the diplomatic process that had begun in March 1778.

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