The Friendly Association for Regaining and Preserving Peace with the Indians by Pacific Measures was established in Philadelphia in 1756 by Israel Pemberton and other wealthy Quakers. It aimed to end violence on the Pennsylvania frontier through diplomacy, negotiation, and humanitarian efforts rather than military action.
Key aspects of the Association included:
- Mission: Founded during the French and Indian War to restore peace with Indigenous groups by addressing grievances through peaceful measures.
- Actions: The group was heavily involved in treaty negotiations, notably providing input and promoting peace initiatives during the Treaty of Easton in the late 1750s.
- Key Figures: Led by Quaker leader and merchant Israel Pemberton.
- Legacy: The group is noted for distributing peace medals to Indigenous leaders to symbolize their commitment to friendship.
- Significance: It represented a significant effort by Pennsylvania Quakers to uphold their pacifist testimonies in the face of frontier conflict.
- Documentation: The group's efforts are documented in the "Friendly Association Papers" and a 1877 book by Samuel Parrish.
Their efforts often placed them in conflict with colonial authorities who favored armed responses to conflicts with Native Americans.
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The connection between the Hallowell Quaker family and the Easton Treaty of 1757 (and 1758) is part of a broader, documented effort by Pennsylvania Quakers to mediate between the Lenape Indians and the Pennsylvania colonial government during the French and Indian War.
The Hallowell Quaker Family
- Origin: The Hallowell family were prominent Pennsylvania Quakers, founded by John and Mary Hallowell who arrived from England in 1682, settling first near Darby and later in Abington Township.
- Quaker Context: Members of this family would have belonged to the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends, the group heavily involved in Indian diplomacy, especially through the "Friendly Association."
The Hallowell Family & The Friendly Association
- Quaker Activism: The Hallowells were a prominent Pennsylvania Quaker family settled in the Abington/Horsham area. In the 1750s, they were part of the Society of Friends who believed in maintaining the "Holy Experiment" of peaceful relations with Native Americans.
- The Friendly Association: Members of the family, including Thomas Hallowell, were affiliated with the Friendly Association for Regaining and Preserving Peace with the Indians by Pacific Measures, a group established in 1756 by Philadelphia Quakers.
- Treaty Involvement: The Friendly Association, led by Israel Pemberton, attended the 1757 Easton conference to support the Lenape against unfair proprietary land grabs, particularly the Walking Purchase of 1737.
Gen 1
Thomas Hallowell - Immigrant
BIRTH 6 JUL 1679 • Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England
DEATH 14 DECEMBER 1734 • Abington, Montgomery Co., PA
7th great-grandfather
Parents:
John Hallowell immigrant 1647–1706
Mary Sarah Holland 1651–1701
Spouse:
Rosamond Till 1677–1745
D/o:
John Till 1652–1710
Mary Jackson 1650–1684
Children:
John Hallowell 1703–1734
William Hallowell 1707–1793
Thomas Hallowell 1715–1788
Samuel Hallowell 1717–
Joseph Hallowell 1719–1759
Gen 2
i. William Hallowell
Birth 1 AUG 1707 • Abington, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Death 23 AUG 1793 • Abington, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
6th great-grandfather
Parents:
Thomas Hallowell 1679–1734
Rosamond Till 1677–1745
Spouse (1):
Margaret Tyson 1708–1752
D/o:
Mathias Tyson 1686–1727
Mary Potts 1688–1762
Children:
Rosamond Hallowell 1731–1745
Matthew Hallowell 1733–1805
William Hallowell Jr 1734–1820
John Hallowell 1736–1745
Rynear Hallowell 1739–1788
David Hallowell 1740–1782
Mary Hallowell 1742–1743
Isaac Hallowell 1744–1745
John Hallowell 1746–1748
Joshua Hallowell 1751–1835
Spouse (2):
Agnes Shoemaker 1716–1782
Spouse (3):
Agnes Cleaver 1710–1757
ii. Thomas Hallowell
Birth 12 MARCH 1715 • Abington Monthly Mtg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Death 4 NOV 1788 • Abington, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, United States
6th great-granduncle
Parents:
Thomas Hallowell 1679–1734
Rosamond Till 1677–1745
Siblings
Spouse (1):
Mary Craft 1715–1745
Spouse (2):
Margaret Tyson 1724–1788
iii. Joseph Hallowell
Birth 23 SEP 1719 • Abington, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, USA
Death 5 NOV 1759 • Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States of America
6th great-granduncle
Parents:
Thomas Hallowell 1679–1734
Rosamond Till 1677–1745
Spouse (1):
Hannah Ball 1715–1779
Spouse (2):
Sarah Nanney
1725–1799
The 1757 Easton Peace Medal—often referred to as the "Quaker Medal" or "Duffield Medal"—was commissioned and approved by The Friendly Association for Regaining and Preserving Peace with the Indians by Pacific Means.
Key Quakers and individuals involved with this committee or the production of the medal included:
- Israel Pemberton Jr.: A leading Philadelphia Quaker merchant and a key founder/leader of the Friendly Association.
- Joseph Richardson Sr.: A prominent Philadelphia Quaker silversmith who manufactured and struck the medals.
- Edward Duffield: A Philadelphia clockmaker and friend of Benjamin Franklin who engraved the dies for the medal.
- Other Friendly Association members: The group, including our Hallowells, was composed of Philadelphia Quaker merchants aiming to restore peace with Native Americans through diplomacy rather than war.
Context of the 1757 Medal:
- Purpose: The medal was designed to foster goodwill and peace with Native American tribes during the French and Indian War, specifically at the Treaty of Easton.
- Design: It featured King George II on the obverse, and on the reverse, a Quaker and a Native American sharing a peace pipe under a tree and sun, inscribed with: "LET US LOOK TO THE MOST HIGH WHO BLESSED OUR FATHERS WITH PEACE".
- Significance: It is considered the first Indian peace medal made in America.
Bronze Replicas of the 1757 Easton Peace Medal:
The United States Mint began producing bronze replicas of the 1757 Easton Peace Medal (also known as the George II or Quaker medal) using original or early copy dies in the early 19th century, with records indicating restrikes were produced as early as 1825.
The U.S. Mint continued to produce these replicas throughout the 19th century, with a specific, new reproduction die being engraved in 1883 to strike new medals beginning in 1885.
Based on a restrike from the National Museum of the American Indian collection, the Mint created bronze replicas of the 1757 medal as late as the 1970s (roughly 1975). These, along with other 19th-century reproductions, are often in the ~1 3/4 inch size, as the original medals were 44 mm in diameter (about 1.73 inches).
Reverse Description (above):
Two figures seated at left and right of a camp fire, a white man wearing hat on the right presents a calumet of peace (Peace Pipe) which the American Indian on the left is reaching for; above the Indian the sun watches; behind the white man, a tree; around, LET US LOOK TO THE MOST HIGH WHO BLESSED OUR FATHERS WITH PEACE; below scene, 1757.
Obverse Description (above):
A draped and laureate bust of the King facing left; around, GEORGIVS II DEI GRATIA.
Thank you to Grok xAI and Gemini AI for updated information supporting my original research. -- Drifting Cowboy
