On This Day

First treaty between the US and Indian tribes is signed at Fort Pitt

The Treaty of Fort Pitt, also known as the Treaty With the Delawares, the Delaware Treaty, or the Fourth Treaty of Pittsburgh, was signed on September 17, 1778; it was the first formal treaty between...

The Treaty of Fort Pitt, also known as the Treaty With the Delawares, the Delaware Treaty, or the Fourth Treaty of Pittsburgh, was signed on September 17, 1778; it was the first formal treaty between the new United States of America and any Native American groups, in this case the Lenape, called the Delaware by white settlers. Although there were informal agreements between Native Americans and the Americans during the American War of Independence, the first one that resulted in a formal document was signed at Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania, now the site of Downtown Pittsburgh. It was essentially a treaty of military alliance between the Lenape Nation and the United States.

Events Before

  1. General George Washington's Revolutionary Army defeats British forces at the Battle of Princeton, New Jersey

    The Battle of Princeton was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought near Princeton, New Jersey on January 3, 1777, and ending in a small victory for the Colonials.

  2. US Continental Congress adopts the Stars & Stripes flag, designed by Francis Hopkinson, replacing the Grand Union flag

    The Betsy Ross flag is a 1792 design for the flag of the United States that first appeared in a painting of George Washington at Trenton by John Trumbull.

  3. American seamstress Betsy Ross (25) weds (for the 2nd time) mariner Joseph Ashburn

    American seamstress Betsy Ross (25) weds (for the 2nd time) mariner Joseph Ashburn

  4. Independent Vermont introduces a new constitution prohibiting slavery

    Independent Vermont introduces a new constitution prohibiting slavery

  5. King Louis XVI of France and his Foreign Minister clandestinely agree to supply the United States with munitions during

    King Louis XVI of France and his Foreign Minister clandestinely agree to supply the United States with munitions during the American Revolution

Events After

  1. Botanist Joseph Banks (36) weds Dorothea Hugessen

    Botanist Joseph Banks (36) weds Dorothea Hugessen

  2. US Defector General Benedict Arnold (38) weds Peggy Shippen (18) at Shippen's townhouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    US Defector General Benedict Arnold (38) weds Peggy Shippen (18) at Shippen's townhouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  3. Spain declares war on Great Britain in support of France and the USA, starting the Great Siege of Gibraltar, which lasts

    Spain declares war on Great Britain in support of France and the USA, starting the Great Siege of Gibraltar, which lasts 3 years, 7 months, and 2 weeks

  4. John Adams is appointed to negotiate Revolutionary War peace terms with Great Britain

    John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801.

  5. Joséphine de Beauharnais, future Empress of the French, marries her first husband, Alexandre de Beauharnais, in Paris

    Joséphine Bonaparte was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810.

More from the 1770s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 17, 1778?
The Treaty of Fort Pitt, also known as the Treaty With the Delawares, the Delaware Treaty, or the Fourth Treaty of Pittsburgh, was signed on September 17, 1778; it was the first formal treaty between the new United States of America and any Native American groups, in this case the Lenape, called the Delaware by white settlers. Although there were informal agreements between Native Americans and the Americans during the American War of Independence, the first one that resulted in a formal document was signed at Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania, now the site of Downtown Pittsburgh. It was essentially a treaty of military alliance between the Lenape Nation and the United States.
Why is First treaty between the US and Indian tribes is signed at Fort Pitt historically important?
Although there were informal agreements between Native Americans and the Americans during the American War of Independence, the first one that resulted in a formal document was signed at Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania, now the site of Downtown Pittsburgh. It was essentially a treaty of military alliance between the Lenape Nation and the United States.

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