A Lenape Among the Quakers: The Life of Hannah Freeman

Chester County History Center

Dawn G. Marsh leads an exploration of Hannah Freeman, once rumored to have been the last Lenape in Chester County, and her legacy.

On July 28, 1797, an elderly Lenape woman stood before the newly appointed almsman of Pennsylvania’s Chester County and delivered a brief account of her life. In a sad irony, Hannah Freeman was establishing her residency—a claim that paved the way for her removal to the poorhouse. Ultimately, however, it meant the final removal from the ancestral land she had so tenaciously maintained. A Lenape Among the Quakers reconstructs Hannah Freeman’s history, from the days of her grandmothers before European settlement to the beginning of the nineteenth century. The story that emerges is one of persistence and resilience, as “Indian Hannah” negotiated life with the Quaker neighbors who employed her, entrusted their children to her, sought out her healing skills, and, when she was weakened by sickness and age, cared for her. And yet these are the same neighbors whose families dispossessed hers. Fascinating in its own right, Hannah Freeman’s life is also remarkable for its unique view of a Native American woman in a colonial community during a time of dramatic transformation and upheaval.Dawn G. Marsh is an associate professor in the Department of History at Purdue University. She specializes in Native American and Indigenous history with a particular focus on the early modern period in North America. She is the author of A Lenape Among Quakers: The Life of Hannah Freeman (University of Nebraska Press, 2014), and several articles on the Lenape diaspora. Most recently she submitted an essay for publication titled, “Concurrent Sovereignties on the Lenapewihittuck: 1615-1638.”Admission is Pay as You Wish! A donation is greatly appreciated, but if you are unable to make a donation at this time, a limited number of free tickets are available.All proceeds benefit the development of future programming and the preservation of the History Center and its collections. The History Center is home to over 750,000 manuscripts and 100,000 photographs, and your donation helps us to preserve and share those resources.Presentation is via Zoom, and will be recorded and available for 7 days for all registered participants. We will email out a Zoom link the day of the presentation, and email a link to the recording within 48 hours. Note: the Zoom link emailed out the day of the presentation only takes you to the live presentation; the link emailed out the day after will contain the recorded version.Generously sponsored by the Haverford Trust Company.

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A Lenape Among the Quakers: The Life of Hannah Freeman

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A Lenape Among the Quakers: The Life of Hannah Freeman

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