South Trenton in Mercer County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
What happened to the Lenape?
In the 17th and early 18th centuries, while struggling to maintain their lifestyle of hunting, fishing and gathering, the Lenape released their lands to incoming Europeans through sales and treaties. The Europeans unwittingly brought with them disease to which Native Americans had little resistance. Interaction was mostly peaceable, but gradually the Lenape moved away from their ancestral lands.
Following the Treaty of Easton in 1758, most Lenape migrated west eventually settling in Ontario, Wisconsin and Oklahoma. Some of those accepting Christianity remained in New Jersey and in 1759 were moved to the Brotherton Reservation in Burlington County, before relocating up the Hudson Valley in 1801 to join the Mahicans. Smaller numbers of Lenape and other tribes such as the Nanticoke blended into the Euro-American and African-American communities some of them marrying settlers, and ensuring a Native American thread in New Jersey culture today.
Three descendant Native American groups still live in New Jersey – the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape in Gouldtown, Cumberland County; the Powhatan-Renape Nation who maintain the Rankokus Indian Reservation in Burlington County[;] and the Ramapough Mountain Indians in Bergen and Passaic Counties. The Nanticoke-Lenni Lenape Indians of New Jersey, which includes the first two of these groups, are recognized as a tribe by the State of New Jersey and promote educational programs of song, dance and arts and crafts. The only federally recognized group of Lenape is what is now known as the Delaware Tribe living in western Oklahoma.
Links to learn more – New Jersey State Museum, Trenton; Rankokus Reservation, Westampton Township
Erected 2004 by New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Native Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1758.
Location. 40° 11.888′ N, 74° 45.499′ W. Marker is in Trenton, New Jersey, in Mercer County. It is in South Trenton. Marker can be reached from New Jersey Route 29. This marker is part of South River Walk Park which is built over Route 29. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Trenton NJ 08611, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Native Americans Exchange Furs for European Goods (here, next to this marker); Who, What and Where were Sanhickans? (here, next to this marker); Native American Artifacts – Clues to Prehistory (here, next to this marker); Local Native American trade networks (here, next to this marker); William Trent of Trent’s Town (here, next to this marker); Quakers Lead the Settlement of West Jersey (here, next to this marker); The West Jersey Proprietors Rule (here, next to this marker); Europeans at the Falls of the Delaware (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Trenton.
More about this marker. This is one of 4 subject markers under the pre-17th Century Arch.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 19, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 15, 2007, by Gary Nigh of Trenton, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 4,043 times since then and 92 times this year. Last updated on September 19, 2023, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 15, 2007, by Gary Nigh of Trenton, New Jersey. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.