This important scene depicts William Penn entering into a peace treaty with a chief of the Lenape Indian tribe named Tamanend, under the shade of an elm tree near the village of Shackamaxon (now Kensington) in Pennsylvania. Under this tree, William Penn secured the purchase of land which would become the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Known as the Treaty of Friendship, Penn's agreement with the Indians was an important example of Quaker values: the just and fair treatment of people from different cultures and religious beliefs. Engraved by John Hall and published by John Boydell.

The engraving is based upon the original painting by Benjamin West in 1771 at the request of Thomas Penn, William's son. West, who grew up in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, trained in Philadelphia before moving to London. Since he did not have access to live Indians in England, West relied on his own sketches that were based upon existing Italian sculptures. Later in his career, West was appointed President of the prestigious Royal Academy of Arts, being the first American to hold the position.

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Condition: B+

A sharp impression on a bright sheet with two faint stains at right and an archivally repaired tear in the text at bottom.