Conflicts......

Colonists spoke harshly about the Lenni Lenape Indians, "I find (the Lenape) entirely savage and wild, strangers to decency and stupid as garden poles, proficient in all wickedness and godlessness; devilish men." The other colonists said, "We (must) either convert these tawny serpents or annihilate them." (Indian King Tavern Museum, 1995-2001).

Although the colonists later spoke in this manner of the later named Delaware Indians soon before they were seeing them in a different light. They actually helped some of the Europeans survive because they were so unprepared and untrained. The Delaware Indians feed and taught the Europeans how to fish and treat wounds. Soon after, things changed drasticially showing thay when the Europeans first landed in 1600 in New Jersey there was 12,000 Lenape but by 1700 there were less than 2500. By 1664, the Lenni Lenape population in South New Jersey had decimated by diseases also numerous conflicts with the Swedes and Dutchmen.

A brutal war with great loss of life was when the Susquehannock (Minqua) attacked Lenni Lenape villages in Pennsylvania and drove them into New Jersey. The Lenape lost half of their lives and were forced to leave their villages west of Delaware River.

The Lenni Lenape declined when the Dutch arrived in the New York and New Jersey area in which created New Netherland. A slaughter at Pavonia in 1643 the Dutch had a suprise attack on the Wecquaesgeek villages killing many at Pavonia (New Jersey city) which also killed many Lenni Lenape, including women and children. This was triggered by the Dutch had restriction on the sale of firearms to the tribes but the Munsee could get guns from the Swedes and in winter of 1642 armed Mahican warriors came to their villages and killed 17 and captured women and children. After that the Dutch and the Wecquaesgeek didn't get along and had many confrontations. This occurence also triggered the Wappinger War (Kieft's War) which tribes like the Hackensack and Tappan joined with Wappinger in attackes againt the Dutch farms.

Many Lenni Lenape faced many hardships during this time so did many other tribes in the face of colonization. Many died from European diseases and other from the war. "The remaining Lenni Lenape sided with the French during the French and Indian War, but did not find much success." (Delaware Histories).

Sources:

-Bergbauer, Thomas. "Lenni Lenape were the first New Jersey settlers." Courier-Post. (2007).

-Indian King Tavern Museum. "The Lenni Lenape Indian Kings." (1995-2001).

http://www.levins.com/ik6.html

-Lazzerini, Rickie. "Native Americans of New Jersey: The Lenni-Lenape." KindredTrails.com (2006). http://www.kindredtrails.com/New-Jersey-History-1.html

-Sulzman, Lee. "Delaware History." Delaware Histories Site. http://tolatsga.org/dela.html