Greed, Deception, Revenge and Prosperity: 18th and 19th Century Development in the Delaware Forks
by David W. Boles

In what way was the development of the Delaware Forks in the 18th and 19th Centuries directly tied to land greed, deed deception, minority revenge and how, in the end, did the slow suggestion of community begin to grow? This paper will examine those questions via the influence of the 1737 Walking Purchase in Pennsylvania and how it divided the Delaware Forks – the area around where the Delaware and Lehigh rivers meet – in many unfavorable ways and in particular how that Purchase contributed to a governing uncertainty, the retarding of communities and the devastation of William Penn’s founding ideals. This paper will also mark moments of growth for areas in the Delaware Forks that eventually became Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Sources for this paper include scholarly journals, books, historical periodicals, news reports and letters. The method used to create this paper was to let the source materials tell the story and to sparingly employ personal perception and opinion in case they might unduly overshadow the incredible facts of this story. In order to construct the forces that affected the development of the Delaware Forks the inquiry must briefly begin with a review of a 17th century agreement created by William Penn and the Delaware Nation in 1686....

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