Editing Treaty of Shackamaxon (section)

== Terms and Significance ==

The traditional understanding of the Treaty of Shackamaxon holds that Penn and the Lenape agreed to perpetual peace and friendship, with Penn promising to deal fairly in all land transactions and the Lenape welcoming the colonists as neighbors. Wampum belts were exchanged as symbols of the agreement, and both parties pledged to settle disputes through negotiation rather than violence. Penn reportedly told the Lenape that he desired to "enjoy [the land] with your Love and Consent, that we may always live together as Neighbors and Friends." These sentiments, whether or not they reflect Penn's exact words, captured the spirit of his approach to indigenous relations.<ref name="soderlund"/>

The significance of the Treaty of Shackamaxon lies less in its specific terms—which remain uncertain—than in what it represented about Penn's vision for Pennsylvania. Penn genuinely believed in treating indigenous peoples fairly and sought to establish his colony through purchase rather than conquest. He learned the Lenape language (or at least some phrases), participated in their councils, and made sincere efforts to understand their customs and concerns. This approach distinguished Pennsylvania from many other colonies and contributed to decades of relatively peaceful relations between Pennsylvanians and indigenous peoples—a peace that held until the pressures of settlement expansion and the machinations of Penn's less scrupulous successors finally broke it.<ref name="harper"/>