Chief William Anderson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kikthawenund Chief William Anderson
Chief William Anderson
Lenape leader
Personal details
Born	1757
Died	1831

Kikthawenund (born 1757, died 1831) was an important leader of the Lenape people. He was also known as William Anderson. The city of Anderson in Indiana is named after him. He led his people through many changes and moves during a difficult time.

Early Life of Kikthawenund

William Anderson was born around 1757. His birthplace was near the Susquehanna River in what is now Marietta, Pennsylvania. His father, John Anderson, was from Sweden. John Anderson ran a ferry service there. William's mother was a daughter of the Lenape chief Netawatwees. Her name is not known today.

William Anderson married early in life. After his first wife passed away, he married Ahkechlungunaqua in 1784. They had three children together. One of their children was Mekinges Conner.

Not much is known about Anderson's early years. By the 1790s, he had moved to what is now Ohio. He was one of 14 Lenape leaders who signed the Treaty of Greenville. This treaty was an agreement between Native American tribes and the United States. Around 1798, Anderson moved to the place that would later be named after him. This place is now the city of Anderson, Indiana. He built a log house there.

Becoming a Chief and Relocations

In 1806, a meeting was held at Anderson's village. At this meeting, he was recognized as a chief by the Lenape people present. This was a big step in his leadership journey.

In 1811, a powerful Shawnee leader named Tecumseh tried to unite Native American tribes. He wanted them to resist American expansion. However, Chief Anderson chose not to support Tecumseh. Later that year, William Henry Harrison, an American leader, asked Anderson and his followers to move. They relocated to Piqua, Ohio.

In 1815, Anderson returned to his village in Indiana. While he was away, the U.S. Army had burned his village. He then began the hard work of rebuilding it. In 1818, Anderson was one of the chiefs who signed a treaty at St. Marys, Ohio. In this treaty, the Lenape agreed to leave Indiana. They would move west of the Mississippi River.

In 1821, Chief Anderson and about 1,350 other Lenape people moved. They relocated from Indiana to the banks of the Current River in Missouri. This was a long and difficult journey for his people. In 1830, Anderson and his followers moved again. They settled in what is now Kansas. Chief William Anderson passed away there the following year, in 1831.