Teedyuscung facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Teedyuscung
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Teedyuscung
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| Lenape leader | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1700 near Trenton, New Jersey |
| Died | April 19, 1763 Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania |
| Cause of death | murder by arson |
| Resting place | Wyoming, Pennsylvania |
| Children | Chief Bull, Sally Allan |
| Known for | Treaty of Easton, French and Indian War in Pennsylvania |
| Nickname | Gideon |
Teedyuscung (around 1700–1763) was an important leader of the Lenape people, also known as the Delaware Indians. He was often called "King of the Delawares." Teedyuscung worked hard to create a lasting home for his people in eastern Pennsylvania. This area included the Lehigh, Susquehanna, and Delaware River valleys.
Teedyuscung played a key role in the Treaty of Easton. This agreement led to the Lenape giving up their claims to all lands in Pennsylvania. After the treaty, the Lenape had to live under the control of the Iroquois in the Wyoming Valley. This area is near modern-day Wilkes-Barre. Teedyuscung died on April 19, 1763, when his home was set on fire. His death marked the beginning of the end for the Lenape in Pennsylvania. Later, his son, Chief Bull, led a raid in the Wyoming Valley. This was part of a larger Native American uprising. Because of these events, the Lenape were forced to move west of the Appalachian Mountains. This move was ordered by the Royal Proclamation of 1763.
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Teedyuscung's Early Life
Teedyuscung's name means "as far as the wood's edge." He was born around 1700 near what is now Trenton, New Jersey. He grew up among Lenape people who had adopted many customs of the colonists. Teedyuscung and his family wore European-style clothes. They also used European goods in their daily lives. Many of them had become Christians and spoke English.
By 1730, the Lenape were forced to leave the Trenton area. Teedyuscung moved with his wife and son to land near where the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers meet. This place is now in Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
Becoming a Leader
After moving to Pennsylvania, Teedyuscung met other Lenape who had not adopted colonial ways. These Lenape still practiced their ancestors' ceremonies and traditions. Teedyuscung became a spokesperson for the Lenape. He had to negotiate with the government of Colonial Pennsylvania.
The Lenape lost most of the Lehigh Valley after the Walking Purchase of 1737. Teedyuscung stayed with his people until 1749 or 1750. Then, he joined the Moravian Church in Lehighton. He did not stay with the Moravians for long. His biographer, Anthony Wallace, wrote:
Teedyuscung was of two minds, as far as white people were concerned, and what satisfied one offended the other. He was driven to identify himself with the Europeans by an acute sense of his insecurity and inferiority as a member of the broken Delaware society. But this same anxious sense of shame produced a belligerent, stubborn denial of the authority of the very people he admired.
In 1754, Teedyuscung left the Moravian settlement. He moved farther north to the Wyoming Valley. While living among other displaced Native Americans, Teedyuscung declared himself "King of the Delawares." He then took on an important role in talks between the Native peoples of Pennsylvania and the colonial government in Philadelphia.
Conflicts Over Land
Colonists kept moving onto Native American lands in eastern Pennsylvania. The Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley began to fight back. The Lenape in the Wyoming Valley faced pressure from three sides. From the east came settlers from Connecticut, who claimed the Wyoming Valley. From the west were the French and their Native American allies. They wanted to stop British expansion into Pennsylvania's mountains. From the south came colonists with land grants from the Philadelphia government.
The Lenape also suffered from a severe drought that harmed their crops. Teedyuscung asked the Pennsylvania colonial government for help. Pennsylvania sent him to the Iroquois Six Nations government. Neither the Iroquois nor Governor Robert Morris could help the Lenape. The Lenape were then attacked by Native Americans allied with the French. Finally, Teedyuscung decided to join his warriors with the western Delaware and the French.
Teedyuscung and other leaders started raiding colonial settlements in Eastern Pennsylvania. The Native Americans wanted revenge for the land "purchases" that had caused them to lose so much land. Eventually, Teedyuscung and other leaders met for talks in Philadelphia and Easton.
In 1756, Teedyuscung told colonial officials:
This very Ground that is under me (striking it with his Foot) was my Land and Inheritance, and is taken from me by Fraud.
At the 1758 negotiations for the Treaty of Easton, Teedyuscung claimed to speak for several groups. These included the French-allied Delaware Indians, the Six Nations of the Iroquois, the Shawnee, the Mahican, and the Christian Munsee. He wanted the Pennsylvania government to promise that the Wyoming Valley lands would be saved for the displaced Native Americans. Teedyuscung faced challenges in the talks at Easton. He also faced opposition in later talks with William Penn's family and the Iroquois Confederacy. The powerful Iroquois Confederacy claimed the Wyoming Valley as their own. They said the Lenape only lived there with their permission. Many different groups had competing interests. This eventually led to the downfall of Teedyuscung and his settlement at Wyolutimunk.
Teedyuscung's Death
The Iroquois were not happy that Teedyuscung claimed to negotiate for them. They refused to recognize the Lenape's claim to any land in the Wyoming Valley. The Quaker founders of Pennsylvania were losing control of their colony. As pacifists, they did not fight against those who wanted to settle on lands the Quakers had promised to Native Americans. The Colonies of Virginia and Connecticut also settled lands in Pennsylvania. These lands were part of their own colonial charters. The different interests of the Iroquois, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Virginia did not allow Teedyuscung and his people to live in peace.
Teedyuscung became a victim of the peace that ended the French and Indian War in Pennsylvania. The colonists agreed to pull back from settlements in the Ohio country. In return, there would be peace east of the Appalachians. The Iroquois refused to give Teedyuscung and his people a permanent home in the Wyoming Valley. The promised investigation into the Walking Purchase was moved from Philadelphia to the British government in London. There, it was eventually dropped. Teedyuscung was left without support or protection.
On April 19, 1763, his cabin and the village of Wyolutimunk were burned down by arsonists. Teedyuscung was asleep in his cabin and died in the fire. The people of Wyolutimunk fled. Settlers from the Susquehanna Company of Connecticut soon took their place. Teedyuscung's dream of a Lenape home in the Wyoming Valley ended with his death.
Wyolutimunk Village
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Wyolutimunk
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Village
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Wyolutimunk was a village built by Teedyuscung. It was also known by names like Kuilutamen and Quilutimunk. The village was located in what is now Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, in the Poconos region. Its name meant "place of surprise," because a group of Native Americans were once surprised there.
The village was burned down on the night of April 19, 1763. After Teedyuscung's cabin was set on fire, the Lenape left the area. The site was later settled in July 1773 by Benjamin Jones. It became the southern part of Falls Township in Wyoming County.
A historical marker is located on Pennsylvania Route 92. It is across the Susquehanna River from the old village site. This marker shows where Teedyuscung met with Christian Frederick Post on May 17, 1760. Teedyuscung was on his way to Tioga, Pennsylvania for a large meeting.
Teedyuscung's Legacy
A statue in Wissahickon Valley Park honors Teedyuscung's role as a Native American leader. John Massey Rhind, a sculptor from Scotland and America, created the statue for the park. It is located in the northern part of the park.
