Separate Paths: Lenapes and Colonists in West New Jersey

Lenape and Colonists in West New Jersey explores the first cross-cultural study of European colonization in the region south of the Falls of the Delaware River. Lenape men and women welcomed Swedes and Finns to escape English regimes, but Quaker men and women challenged this model with strategies to acquire all Lenape territory. Despite mutual commitment to peace, Quaker colonization had similar results to military conquests, but Lenape communities survived in areas outside the focus of English colonization.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2022
Publisher: Rutgers University Press

The Lenapes and Colonists in West New Jersey is a groundbreaking cross-cultural exploration of European colonization in the region south of the Falls of the Delaware River, encompassing present-day Trenton. This study delves into the intricate dynamics between Lenape men and women, who warmly welcomed their allies, the Swedes and Finns, seeking refuge from the more rigid English regimes on the west bank of the Delaware. In exchange for their hospitality, the Lenapes offered land to establish farms, share resources, and engage in trade. However, the Quakers, a group of men and women in the 1670s, challenged this prevailing model with strategic endeavors to acquire all Lenape territory for their exclusive use and to sell it as real estate to incoming immigrants. Despite the Lenapes' sovereign status and the retention of their Swedish Lutheran religion and ethnic autonomy by the "old settlers," the West Jersey proprietors achieved significant success in excluding the Lenapes from their land. The Friends, driven by their belief in divine favor and the devastating epidemics of smallpox and other European diseases that ravaged Lenape families and communities, further defied their previous experiences of religious persecution and their principles of peaceful conflict resolution, equality before God, and the golden rule to treat others as they wished to be treated. Despite their mutual commitment to peace, Quaker colonization in West New Jersey bore striking similarities to military conquests carried out by the English in Virginia, New England, the Dutch in the Hudson Valley, and northern New Jersey. Nevertheless, in alliance with the "old settlers," Lenape communities managed to survive and thrive in areas outside the primary focus of English colonization, such as the Pine Barrens, the upper reaches of streams, and the Atlantic shore. This study sheds light on the complex interplay between cultural, social, and political forces that shaped the history of West New Jersey and highlights the resilience and adaptability of the Lenape people in the face of adversity.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978813120