Sassoonan

Sassoonan or Allumapees ( 1675 – 15 October 1747) was a Lenape chief who lived in the colonial-era Province of Pennsylvania in the late 17th and early 18th century. He was known for his negotiations with the provincial government of Pennsylvania in several land purchases. He was a respected leader until political intrigue and migration of the Lenape into the Ohio Country diminished his influence. During his final years he became dependent on alcohol and died in Shamokin in 1747. After his death the Lenape were without a chief until 1752, when the Iroquois leader Tanacharison appointed Shingas to represent them at the Logstown Treaty conference. He was a son of Tamanend, also known as "Tammany," a well-respected Lenape sachem known as a lover of peace and friendship.

After 1728, Sassoonan is often referred to as "Allumapees," (sometimes written "Olumapies," with a variety of other spellings). A few sources also refer to him as "Weheequickhon," or "Wikwikhon," although this is disputed and the name may refer to someone else.

Tulpehocken conflict, 1728

At a conference in Philadelphia on 4 June, 1728 Sassoonan complained that the German Palatines (immigrants from Germany) were settling in the Tulpehocken Creek Valley, in Berks and Lebanon counties, which, as he claimed, had not been purchased from the Indians. Governor William Keith had invited a group of German immigrants to move from the Schoharie Valley in New York to Tulpehocken,

James Logan sympathized at first with the Lenape, whose unfenced corn had been destroyed by the cattle "of these new-comers whom they knew not." He writes: "These poor People were much disturbed at this, yet finding they could no longer raise Corn there for their Bread, they quietly removed up the River Sasquehannah, though not without repining at their hard usage. Not long after, most of their Hunters retired for the Sake of better Game to Ohio."

Both Opekasset and Shakatawlin were important Lenape chiefs and close friends of Sassoonan, and Opekasset had been considered Sassoonan's likely successor as chief. Sassoonan went into a deep depression, refusing to eat. Thomas Penn and James Logan invited him to spend some time in Philadelphia in August 1731 so they could console and encourage him.

A debate followed on whether the sale of alcohol should be prohibited among the Lenape, as it was causing significant social problems, including an erosion of civility, an increase in violence and widespread health problems. Alcohol made men less reliable hunters and allies, destabilized village economics, and contributed to a rise in poverty. Sassoonan responded to these suggestions by recommending that alcohol be made more difficult to obtain but not altogether forbidden:

It is very true that the Indians have made frequent Complaints of Rum being brought among them in Large Quantities, and that they themselves have too great a liking for it, but that of late very large Quantities are carried everywhere amongst them, that many horse-loads of it pass by his Door and it all comes from Philadelphia, and that he cannot understand why such Quantities should be sent up...That there was not so much danger to be apprehended in the Quantities that the Indians should bring up themselves in this manner, as from the great quantities that are brought amongst them by the white People, and his desire is that no Rum should be suffered to be carried amongst them by the English, but that if the Indians want it, they should be required to come to Philadelphia for it. That the Indians do not desire that rum should be entirely stopt and that none at all should be brought to them; they would have some but not much, and desire none may be brought but by sober good men, who will take a dram with them to refresh them and not so much as to hurt them. The Governor knows there are ill people amongst the Christians as well as amongst them; that what mischief is done he believes is mostly owing to rum, and it should be prevented. He desires that no Christian should carry any rum to Shamokin where he lives, to sell; when they want any, they will send for it themselves; they would not be wholly deprived of it, but they would not have it brought by the Christians. He desires four men may be allowed to carry some rum to Allegheny, to refresh the Indians when they return from hunting, and that no one else be permitted to carry any. They also desire that some rum may be lodged at Tulpyhockin and Pextan, to be sold to them, that their women may not have too long a way to fetch it.

On his visit to Philadelphia in 1731, Sassoonan was accompanied by his nephew Pisquetomen. James Logan immediately disliked him, and when he found out that Pisquetomen was Sassoonan's chosen successor, Logan objected, writing to Thomas Penn: "I concerted measures with Sassoonan, when returned to my house, to have that fellow laid aside and a better substituted in his place, which, 'tis hoped, may take effect." and more of them were migrating with their families westward into the Ohio Country where hunting was good and there were no English settlements. The Pennsylvania authorities also wanted to keep the Lenape from moving into the Ohio Valley, where they would be more likely to become French allies, therefore Sassoonan was presented with frequent gifts. On a visit to Philadelphia in August, 1736 he was presented with "four strouds, four blankets, four duffels, four shirts, twenty pounds of powder, fifty pounds of lead, one dozen tobacco tongs, one dozen knives, tobacco and pipes, one hundredweight of bread, [and] five gallons of rum." Present at the conference were 230 Iroquois, whose leader Canassatago rebuked the Lenape, calling them women and ordering them to move westward to "Wyomink or Shamokin" and leave their traditional homeland along the Delaware River, adding: "We charge You to remove instantly. We don't give you the liberty to think about it...This String of Wampum serves to forbid You, Your Children and Grand Children, to the latest Posterity, for ever, medling in Land Affairs...Depart the Council and consider what has been said to you." Sassoonan and Shikellamy wanted to identify the murderers and bring them to justice, as the murder of a trader would keep other traders from visiting Shamokin, thus cutting off the supply of valuable trade goods that the Indians were now dependent on. Sassoonan decided to hire a "conjuror," a Lenape medicine man who could discover the identities of the murderers by magic.

The next day, the conjuror identified two men in Shamokin that he claimed had been involved in the murder, and these men were brought to Sassoonan for questioning. One of them was a Lenape Indian named Mussemeelin, who confessed that he had owed Armstrong a debt, and in late 1743 Armstrong had taken Mussemeelin's horse as payment. Mussemeelin later paid Armstrong 20 shillings to settle the debt, but Armstrong refused to return the horse. Mussemeelin and two of his friends later found Armstrong and his servants clearing a road on the Juniata River and killed them.

Conrad Weiser arrived on 2 May, 1744 and heard the confession. Goods that were taken from Armstrong were returned to his brother Alexander, and Mussemeelin and one of the two accomplices were handed over to Weiser, to stand trial in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The second accomplice was arrested, but the Indians allowed him to escape.

Conrad Weiser wrote from Tulpehocken, July 20, 1747: "Olumapies would have resigned his crown before now, but as he had the keeping of the public treasure (that is to say, the Council Bag), consisting of belts of wampum, for which he buys liquor, and has been drunk for these two or three years, almost constantly, and it is thought he won't die as long as there is one single wampum left in the bag." In September Weiser wrote: "I understand Olumapies is dead, but I cannot say I am sure of it," and on 15 October: "Olumapies is dead." James Logan also wanted a leader with the determination to bring those Lenape who had migrated to Ohio back to the Susquehanna region, and felt that Pisquetomen would be unable and unwilling to attempt this. Logan and Conrad Weiser actively tried to promote Lappapitton (also spelled Lappachpitton) as successor, describing him as "an Honest, true-hearted man" with "very good Natural Sence," but Lappapitton declined, saying (according to Weiser) that "he is afraid he will be Envy'd and consequently bewitched by some of the Indians."

For several years after Sassoonan's death there was no recognized Lenape leader, until the Logstown Treaty of 1752, at which the Iroquois insisted that Tanacharison, the Seneca leader in charge of supervising the Lenape, select a leader. Arguing "that is our right to give you a King" to represent the Lenape in "all publick Business," Tanacharison chose Shingas, who was relatively obscure and seemed acceptable to the Pennsylvania government, although they later came to regret the choice when Shingas began a series of bloody raids against English settlements at the start of the French and Indian War.

Family

Some sources list Quenameckquid (known as Charles) and Yaqueekhon (known as Nicholas) as Sassoonan's brothers. One of Sassoonan's daughters (sometimes referred to as Polly) married Opessa Straight Tail in 1711 after Opessa resigned his chieftainship and took refuge in Shamokin. Sassoonan's granddaughter, who is sometimes referred to as Madelina, married Andrew Montour.