Benjamin Franklin Was One of Many Early Americans Who Spread Genocidal Propaganda About Indigen
During the Revolutionary War, colonial leaders sought alliances with Indigenous nations, including the Delaware Nation. A 1778 treaty with the Delaware promised them representation and citizenship in the new American nation, but Congress never ratified it. In 1782, American militia massacred 96 peaceful Delaware and Mohican Christians in Gnadenhütten, Ohio, in a brutal act of violence and plunder. This tragic event marked a violent end to the friendship between the Delaware and the colonists, as Indigenous people resisted American expansion into their ancestral lands.
- Colonial leaders sought alliances with Indigenous nations during the Revolutionary War
- A 1778 treaty with the Delaware promised them representation and citizenship, but was never ratified
- In 1782, American militia massacred 96 peaceful Delaware and Mohican Christians in Gnadenhütten, Ohio
📘 Publisher Take: Historical fiction writers have a largely untapped opportunity here — the Founding Fathers myth is ripe for more complex retellings. Benjamin Franklin as a figure who actively promoted genocide against Indigenous peoples creates far richer character territory than the sanitized Almanac version most readers know.
Source: Literary Hub | Read full article →