Wampum A Paper Presented to the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia

"Wampum" by Ashbel Woodward is an informative essay that journeys into the captivating history and cultural value of wampum, a shell bead currency used by Native American tribes. Originating from a presentation in 1868 to the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia, the detailed writing from 1878, uncovers the beginnings of wampum, the production, and its different uses in indigenous cultures and trade with European settlers. The writing shares how wampum, made from specific shells, served as both decoration and a critical form of currency within Native American society. Woodward shares the complicated methods of wampum making and how it helped trade happen between tribes. It talks in great length how it was crucial to interactions, treaties, and showed how important an item it was that stood for status and wealth. As traders from Europe saw its value, wampum rose in importance in the fur trade, which shaped colonial economies. The detailed essay offers a look into how it molded the interactions during that time between Europeans and Native Americans, sharing insight into that time.