William Penn signed a treaty with the Delaware Indians this day, June 23, 1683, under an elm tree in what was to become the city of Philadelphia. A Quaker who took his faith seriously, Penn insisted on dealing fairly with the Indians, buying the land rather than taking it by force. As a result, his colony was never attacked. William Penn addressed the tribe: "My Friends: There is one great God ... that hath made the world and all things therein, to whom you and I and all people owe their being. ... This great God hath written ... in our hearts ... to love and help ... one another and not to do harm."