The Walking Purchase refers to a controversial land negotiation that significantly impacted the Lenape-Delaware tribes in Pennsylvania. The origins of the agreement date back to 1686 when the Delaware leaders agreed to a land transaction based on a 'walking' distance, specifying that the Pennsylvania government could take as much land as could be traversed in a day and a half. This understanding was based on trust and the belief that fair dealings would take place. However, when the time came to execute this agreement in 1737, a walking path was plotted that covered approximately 70 miles rather than the previously estimated figure, leading to the seizure of over 1.2 million acres. The colonial authorities employed a strategy of utilizing runners, advancing the distance claimed to foster colonial expansion at the expense of indigenous populations.

The Pennsylvania government justified its actions based on this interpretation of the original agreement, asserting that the distance walked was legally binding. The repercussions of this event reached far beyond the immediate loss of land; it marked a growing trend of colonial expansion and the erosion of native land rights. Resistance from the Lenape tribes was met with force, further solidifying the colony's dominance in the region. The eventual legality and ethical implications of such agreements prompted later debates surrounding land acquisition and Native American rights.

The Walking Purchase is emblematic of the complexities involved in colonial relations with Native Americans. It is an example of how colonial designs frequently disregarded indigenous sovereignty, framing land agreements as legal disputes rather than recognizing the cultural and communal significance of the land in question. The ensuing changes in land ownership reshaped tribal territories and contributed to the larger narrative of dispossession faced by Native Americans as European settlement expanded in North America.