Penn's Treaty with the Indians

According to legend, in 1682 Quaker reformer William Penn met with Native Americans at Shackamaxon in what is now Philadelphia to exchange gifts for land. Although history shows that Penn did meet with the Lenape Indians, no actual treaty exists. For the Quakers, however, the meeting fulfilled the biblical prophecy of a peaceable kingdom on earth.

The theme inspired more than a hundred paintings by Quaker preacher Edward Hicks, who also worked as a sign and coach painter. Using a seemingly unsophisticated style, Hicks concentrated on images that conveyed his Quaker beliefs.