Early Life
Tecumseh was born in the year1768 in southern Ohio near present-day Chillicothe. He grew up in the border warfare that destroyed the Ohio Valley in the 18 th century. His father Puckeshinwa was a chef and someone killed him in the Battle of Port Pleasant in the war between the French and Indians. His mother by the name of Methoataske abandoned him and his sister Tecumpease raised him up after migrating to Missouri. Tecumseh was a Native American, supernatural warrior and military leader of the Shawnee. He is remembered as a hero who fought for freedom of his fellow Native Americans. It is uncertain who killed him and what happened to his remains. In 1808, he followed a contingency of hundred tribesmen to Indiana and joined his brother Tenskwatawa who was a famous Native American religious leader. People called him the prophet. Tecumseh had excellent oratory skills and with this, he was able to transform his brother’s religious following into a political movement. Furthermore, he preached against Native Americans assimilating into the white world, his next strategy was recruiting people from diverse tribes throughout the Southern, and North West territories of the U.S. His objective was to rally them to fight for their freedom against white supremacy in their territory. He lived at the juncture of the Tippecanoe and Wabash rivers. Because he is a celebrated hero, this essay reviews Tecumseh’s early life, his achievements, and death.
Battle of Tippecanoe
When Tecumseh was still recruiting people from different tribes, William Henry Harrison, the Indiana governor moved over 900 men to Prophetstown and they established themselves in a nearby hill, (Bradford, 2004). The prophet then sent word that he wanted to meet Harrison. However, when he came to meet him, the prophet’s men attacked Harrison’s men in their camp. In this battle of Tippecanoe, the Americans become victorious burning down the town inhabited by the Native Americans. Afterward, Tecumseh tried to reconstruct his shattered association.
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The 1812 War
The United States Congress declared war on Great Britain on 1 st June of the year 1812.At this time, the different Native American tribes had weak ties .As a result, Tecumseh moved his warriors to Michigan so they could collaborate with British Major General Sir Isaac Brockin the fight against Detroit. British forces were within close proximity of American soldiers who were likely to attack them at any time. In this case, with the aim of protecting the Britons, Tecumseh had to think of a tactic that could make Americans surrender in their intended war against Britons (Cote, 2015). Therefore, he repeatedly paraded his warriors from a nearby wooded area and circle back, making it appear as if they were large in number compared to the American soldiers. This trick worked to his advantage because the American commander Brigadier General William Hull feared a massacre and gave up on his intended war against Britons.
Tecumseh as a Young Warrior
Tecumseh’s life changed after the death of his father at the Battle of Point Pleasant in the year 1774.He swore that he would follow the example of his father who was a warrior. In his teenage years, Tecumseh joined a union of Native Americans headed by one chief Joseph Brant. In their meetings, the chief always encouraged the members to be ready to defend their territory against white violation. According to Tucker (2005), it is for this reason that Tecumseh led his army of men into attacking a contingency of white settler’s boats, which were making their way to the Ohio River, which was their home. Watching the brutality displayed between whites and the Native Americans, Tecumseh was horrified. Besides, he watched his men burn down a white and he reprimanded his counterparts for their actions.
In the year 1971, Tecumseh under the leadership of Shawnee chief Blue Jacket successfully led his party of soldiers against the U.S general Arthur St. Clair at the battle of the Wabash. Here, they massacred and killed 952 out of 1000 American soldiers. Because of this victory, Tecumseh got more courage to launch wars against other American generals and their armies. In this case, he attacked Major General Anthony Wayne in the year without success (Rugeley, 1989). In addition, two months later, he also lost at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Following the two successive loses the bitter Tecumseh refused to attend negotiations to acknowledge the Treaty of Greenville. Nonetheless, he criticized the peace chiefs who signed away land that belonged to Native Americans.
Tecumseh Tried to Unite All Tribes against White Expansion
Tecumseh believed that Native Americans had a right over their territory. It is for this reason that he believed Native Americans should unite against white settlers’ encroachment on their land. Nevertheless, he hoped to create a union that would unite all Native American tribes including their longtime enemies (Rugeley, 1989). This desire encouraged him to travel widely in the Midwest to obtain more followers. He traveled to Delaware, Miami, and Potawatomi.
Tecumseh’s War-Recruitment Campaign
Tecumseh was alarmed by the huge sales of Native American land that he traveled to different tribes from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico to seek support. LcBeau (2001) states that he asked Mexicans and Canadians to abandon their chiefs and join him in the fight against the signed treaty. His brother Tenskwatawa, popular as the prophet accompanied him in his quest to realize his plan s of establishing a Pan Indian league or union. They preached the information that the treaty was illegal. Furthermore, Tecumseh visited governor Harrison of Indiana to request him to cancel the signed treaty and return the land purchased from the natives. However, the governor refused to give in to Tecumseh’s demands.
Tecumseh’s War-Governor William Harrison
On August of 1810 , Tecumseh, accompanied by his 400 armed warriors went to meet Governor William Harrison at his home in Grouse land. The presence of the Native Americans surprised the entire town. In addition, the situation worsened when the governor stuck to his decision of refusing to cancel the treaty that took away Native American land. Instead, the governor argued that any tribe could establish a working relationship with the U.S. Besides, his actions were unpleasing to the tribes in Harrison’s area. In response, Cote (2015) asserts that Tecumseh refuted that Harrison’s plan was to prevent Indians from uniting and having liberty over land. He asked him to sell air, the great sea, and the earth instead. He stated that the Native Americans had now lost confidence in white people. Thereafter, Tecumseh asked his warriors to kill the governor. However, the town’s battalion was quick to come to his defense. Similarly, Potawatomi’s chief Winamac requested the Native American warriors to leave after arguing with Tecumseh. Before their departure, Tecumseh told Governor Harrison that as long as he declined to cancel the treaty, he would collaborate with the British against him.
Tecumseh’s Death
Tecumseh collaborated with the British Major Henry Procter in the spring of 1813. Together with their armies, they fought Fort Meigs and conquered it. The massacred town belonged to Tecumseh’s old archrival by the name of William Henry Harrison. In the process, Harrison’s forces launched a counter-attack on Procter and Tecumseh forcing them to retreat into Canada in Thames River, presently called Southern Ontario (Bradford, 2004). On October 5 in the year 1813, Harrison’s 3000 man army attacked Tecumseh’s 500 men and killed them all. Until today, it is still unknown who killed Tecumseh. Additionally, Procter had promised Tecumseh that he would send reinforcements, which he unfortunately never did. Nonetheless, it is unclear who buried Tecumseh’s body in an unmarked field. Nonetheless, His death marked the end of Native American resistance in the Ohio River valley, the middle and southern United States. They moved west of Mississippi River for the next several decades.
Famous Tecumseh Quotes
Tecumseh rallied many tribes to his alliance with the intention of launching attacks on white people. Below are some of his famous quotes, “Brothers, the white people are like poisonous serpents: when chilled they are feeble and harmless but invigorate them with warmth and they sting their benefactors to death.” (Tucker, 2005 ). With this quote, Tecumseh was informing his tribesmen of how white people could take advantage of them if they failed to fight for their rights. “ Live your life so that fear of death can never enter your heart… Love your life, perfect your life and beautify all things in your life . Seek to make your life long and in the service of your people .” With this quote, Tecumseh was calling for the allegiance of Native Americans against their white counterparts.
In conclusion, Tecumseh was a brave and compassionate political leader who won the admiration of many people including his friends. After the death of his father, he swore to become a warrior. After migrating to the U.S., he lived among Native Americans and he detested the American encroachment on their territory. With this, he fought many battles together with his army against whites who had an insatiable desire to own their land. Tecumseh experienced victories and defeats in his endeavors. At his death, it is unknown who killed him and where his remains are. Tecumseh was a supernatural warrior and military leader of the Shawnee remembered as a hero who fought for the freedom of his fellow Native Americans. This is why mythology that transforms him into an American folk hero exists.
References
Bradford, J. C. (Ed.). (2004). International encyclopedia of military history . Routledge.
Cote, P. (2015). Tecumseh, A Portrait: Dismantling the Myth, as an Agent of Change (Doctoral dissertation, OCAD University).
LcBeau, P. R. (2001). Adopting the Visage of American Indian Warriors in the Halls of Academia. Team spirits: The Native American mascots controversy, 109.
Rugeley, T. (1989). Savage and Statesman: Changing Historical Interpretations of Tecumseh. The Indiana Magazine of History, 289-311.
Tucker, G. (2005). Tecumseh: A Vision of Glory. Cosimo, Inc..
