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David Bacon journal
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Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
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David Bacon (1729-1809), the son of John Bacon, was a Philadelphia hatter and a Quaker elder who visited Canandaigua, New York, in the fall of 1794, to be present at a treaty with the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederation). Bacon married Mary Trotter, the daughter of Joseph Trotter, in the Philadelphia Monthly Meeting in 1751. The couple had six children: Susan P., Joseph, Charles W., Edmund P., Mary, and Anna Bacon.
Prior to the creation of Indian Committees for the Yearly Meetings of Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York, the Haudenosaunee informed the Meeting for Sufferings of Philadelphia was informed that they wanted Quakers to be present at the treaty of the Six Nations at Canandaigua. The Meeting sent David Bacon, William Savery, John Parrish, and James Emlen to attend the treaty.
The Treaty at Canandaigua concluded on November 11, 1794, deciding the territory to be left to the tribes of the Six Nations, who had fought against the colonies in the Revolutionary War. The Six Nations, also known as the Iroquois, included the Kanienʼkehá꞉ka (Mohawk), Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and the Tuscarora nations.
This collection includes the original copy of David Bacon's journal kept during his time with the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy), in 1794, as well as two photocopies. Entries describe Bacon's journey to the Haudenosaunee territory, and interactions between himself and the members of the Haudenosaunee, as well as discussions between representatives from the United States and Six Nations governments concerning the treaty that was to determine the land rights of the Haudenosaunee after the end of the Revolutionary War. Bacon also includes his accounts of speeches given by both United States representatives and Six Nation chiefs, including Cornplanter (Gaiänt'wakê) and Red Jacket (Sagoyewatha).
Unknown.
Processed by Kara Flynn; completed July, 2015.
People
Subject
- Publisher
- Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
- Finding Aid Author
- Kara Flynn
- Finding Aid Date
- July, 2015
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).