Editing Treaty of Shackamaxon (section)

== The Great Elm ==

The elm tree at Shackamaxon became a potent symbol of the Penn-Lenape treaty and was venerated by both Europeans and Native Americans throughout the colonial period. The tree stood near the Delaware River in what is now Penn Treaty Park, reputedly marking the exact spot where Penn and the Lenape concluded their agreement. Visitors throughout the 18th century sought out the tree as a monument to Penn's legacy, and it became one of the most famous landmarks in early America. When the tree finally fell during a storm on March 3, 1810, pieces of its wood were preserved as relics, and objects made from the elm became prized possessions among Philadelphia's elite families.<ref name="westcott">{{cite book |last=Westcott |first=Thompson |title=The Historic Mansions and Buildings of Philadelphia |year=1877 |publisher=Porter & Coates |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>

The veneration of the Treaty Elm reflected the broader mythologizing of the Penn-Lenape relationship that occurred during the 18th and 19th centuries. As Philadelphia grew into a major city and Pennsylvania became one of the most prosperous colonies (and later states) in North America, the story of Penn's treaty became a founding legend that celebrated the city's origins in peace and fair dealing. Benjamin West's famous painting, completed in 1771 and reproduced countless times since, fixed the legendary scene in the American imagination. The painting hangs today in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, continuing to shape public memory of an event whose historical details remain elusive.<ref name="west"/>