John Heckewelder
Encyclopedia
John Gottlieb Ernestus Heckewelder (March 12, 1743 – January 21, 1823) was an American missionary
.
He was born in Bedford, England. He came to Pennsylvania
in 1754, and, after finishing his education, was apprenticed to a cooper
. After a visit to Ohio with Christian F. Post, a colonial agent, in 1762, and temporary employment in the Moravian
missions at Friedenshütten and Sheshequin, Pennsylvania, in 1765-1771, he entered, in the latter year, upon his actual career as an evangelist
to the Indians
, being appointed assistant to David Zeisberger
, in Ohio, where he remained fifteen years. In 1792, at the request of the secretary of war, he accompanied Gen. Rufus Putnam
to Post Vincennes
to treat with the Indians. In 1793 he was a second time commissioned to assist at a treaty with the Indians of the lakes. Between 1797 and 1800 he remained mainly in Ohio, and was for a time in the civil service
, being a postmaster
, a justice of the peace
, and an associate justice of the court of common pleas. He settled at Gnadenhütten, Ohio
, in 1801, and devoted himself to the duties of his agency, but resigned in 1810 and engaged in literary pursuits in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
, till his death. He studied carefully the languages, manners, and customs of the Indians, particularly the Delawares, and after he had become a member of the American Philosophical Society
, at Philadelphia
, several of his contributions of Indian archaeology
were published in their transactions. He also published Account of the History, Manners, and Customs of the Indian Nations who once inhabited Pennsylvania and the Neighboring States (Philadelphia, 1818; German translation, Göttingen, 1821; French translation, Paris. 1822); Narrative of the Mission of the United Brethren among the Delawares and Mohegan Indians (Philadelphia, 1820); and a collection of Names which the Lenni Lenape or Delaware Indians gave to Rivers, Streams, and Localities within the States of Pennsylvania. New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia, with their Signification (1822). Many of his manuscript
s are in the collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
.
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
.
He was born in Bedford, England. He came to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in 1754, and, after finishing his education, was apprenticed to a cooper
Cooper (profession)
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...
. After a visit to Ohio with Christian F. Post, a colonial agent, in 1762, and temporary employment in the Moravian
Moravian
Moravian refers to:* a person or thing from Moravia * Moravians * Moravian language, disputed language or dialect of the Czech language* a member or adherent of the Moravian Church...
missions at Friedenshütten and Sheshequin, Pennsylvania, in 1765-1771, he entered, in the latter year, upon his actual career as an evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
to the Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, being appointed assistant to David Zeisberger
David Zeisberger
David Zeisberger was a Moravian clergyman and missionary among the Native Americans in the Thirteen Colonies...
, in Ohio, where he remained fifteen years. In 1792, at the request of the secretary of war, he accompanied Gen. Rufus Putnam
Rufus Putnam
Rufus Putnam was a colonial military officer during the French and Indian War, and a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
to Post Vincennes
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
to treat with the Indians. In 1793 he was a second time commissioned to assist at a treaty with the Indians of the lakes. Between 1797 and 1800 he remained mainly in Ohio, and was for a time in the civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
, being a postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
, a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, and an associate justice of the court of common pleas. He settled at Gnadenhütten, Ohio
Gnadenhutten, Ohio
Gnadenhutten is a village located on the Tuscarawas River in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States and is Ohio's oldest existing settlement. The population was 1,280 at the 2000 census....
, in 1801, and devoted himself to the duties of his agency, but resigned in 1810 and engaged in literary pursuits in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
, till his death. He studied carefully the languages, manners, and customs of the Indians, particularly the Delawares, and after he had become a member of the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
, at Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, several of his contributions of Indian archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
were published in their transactions. He also published Account of the History, Manners, and Customs of the Indian Nations who once inhabited Pennsylvania and the Neighboring States (Philadelphia, 1818; German translation, Göttingen, 1821; French translation, Paris. 1822); Narrative of the Mission of the United Brethren among the Delawares and Mohegan Indians (Philadelphia, 1820); and a collection of Names which the Lenni Lenape or Delaware Indians gave to Rivers, Streams, and Localities within the States of Pennsylvania. New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia, with their Signification (1822). Many of his manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
s are in the collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a historical society founded in 1824 and based in Philadelphia. The Society's building, designed by Addison Hutton and listed on Philadelphia's Register of Historical Places, houses some 600,000 printed items and over 19 million manuscript and graphic items...
.
Legacy
- The John Hackewelder Memorial Moravian Church, Gnadenhutten, Ohio was named in his honor.