Gnadenhütten massacre (Pennsylvania)
Attack by Native American warriors on a Pennsylvania Moravian settlement in 1755. / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Gnadenhütten massacre in 1755 in Pennsylvania, U.S. For the 1782 massacre in Ohio, see Gnadenhutten massacre.
The Gnadenhütten massacre was an attack during the French and Indian War in which Native allies of the French killed 11 Moravian missionaries at Gnadenhütten, Pennsylvania (modern day Lehighton, Pennsylvania) on 24 November 1755. They destroyed the mission village[2] and took one woman prisoner, and only four of the sixteen residents escaped.[3] Following the attack, Benjamin Franklin was commissioned by the Pennsylvania Provincial Council to construct forts in the area, and in other parts of the Province of Pennsylvania, to defend against Native American attacks, which were becoming increasingly frequent due to the French and Indian War.[4]: 241–43
Quick Facts Location, Coordinates ...
Gnadenhütten massacre | |
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Part of the French and Indian War | |
Location | Gnadenhütten (present day Lehighton, Pennsylvania |
Coordinates | 40°49′55″N 75°42′53″W |
Date | 24 November 1755 |
Attack type | Mass murder |
Deaths | 11 killed[1] |
Victims | Moravian missionaries |
Assailants | Shawnee or possibly Munsee warriors |
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