Queen Aliquippa - Leader of Mingo Confederation       

Queen Aliquippa was a legendary leader of the Seneca Indian Tribe in the 18th century in the colonial period of Pennsylvania. Born in 1680, in what is now Somerset County, she was a key figure in the peace negotiations between the colonists and the Native Americans. As a young woman in 1701, she traveled with her husband to meet with William Penn, (founder of Pennsylvania) and took part in the negotiations with him, and established a treaty with English settlers. When her husband passed, she assumed leadership of her tribe. Women assuming leadership in the Indian nations of Northeastern America was not unusual. Queen Aliquippa demanded respect and acknowledgment of her power by the French and the English traders which required a significant attitude adjustment. 

In the early 1730s, Queen Aliquippa became the head of the Mongo Confederation. She and her people settled at the confluence of the Three Rivers, Ohio, Monongahela, and the Ohio, near modern-day Pittsburgh. This juncture was the site of significant trade and intense competition between the French and the English. It would play a significant part in the cause of the French and Indian War. A war between England and France (1754-1763), would eventually give England vast territorial control in North America. 

Queen Aliquippa was loyal to the English and used her influence to persuade her warriors and others not to become involved in the conflict to come. In 1753, she met a young George Washington, and he presented her with gifts in acknowledgment of her influence and power. 

When the French and Indian War broke out the following year, Aliquippa mobilized the Mingo on behalf of the English settlers. She met George Washington again in 1754 following the Battle of Fort Necessity and pledged her friendship and support. The Queen died later that year, leaving a life shrouded in legend but rich in importance to every Pennsylvania. She spent her life promoting friendly relations between colonists and Native Americans. She is the namesake of Aliquippa, Beaver County, Pennsylvania.