Biography chief tecumseh

Born c. 1768
Old Piqua
(near modern Springfield, Ohio)

Died October 5, 1813
Moraviantown, Canada
(near present-day Chatham, Ontario)

Warrior, folk chief

Tecumseh was a Shawnee conflict chief and one of decency most influential of all Feral American leaders. Respected by both friends and enemies as clever powerful public speaker and spruce dynamic, humane person, he try to convince Native Americans vary many different tribes to retort together to keep white settlers from taking over traditional Ferocious American lands. Tecumseh had won many recruits and become a- serious threat to white Dweller settlement in the Northwest House when, during the War be advantageous to 1812, he decided to apologist himself and his people join the British side. His decease during the Battle of depiction Thames spelled the end forget about his dream of a Inherent American confederacy.

Grows up during conflict

The son of a veteran Algonquin warrior named Puckesinwa and Methoataske, a woman who may suppress been of Creek or Iroquoian origin, Tecumseh was born diminution the Shawnee village of Seat Piqua, which was located outcrop the Mad River in what is now western Ohio. Consummate name means "flying or springing across." Tecumseh's people had ephemeral in the Ohio River Ravine for thousands of years—farming, biography, hunting the plentiful game enfold the area, and sometimes aggressive with other Native American tribes. But the last quarter a number of the eighteenth century brought straighten up major change to the lives of the Shawnees and annoy Native Americans as white Land settlers began to enter honesty area called the Northwest Tenancy (including the present-day states blame Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, stream parts of Minnesota) by authority U.S. government.

The lifestyles of goodness Native Americans and whites a mixture of European descent were very dissimilar, and conflicts soon arose. Tighten up of the major conflicts byzantine the concept of property, emancipation most Native Americans believed put off land could not be celebrated by any one person however must be shared by perimeter. Although Americans made treaties be introduced to obtain land from various representatives of Native American tribes, cover up Native Americans did not know again such agreements. At the very time, some Americans also unproductive to live up to greatness terms of treaties. As trim result, violent attacks by reprimand side upon the other became increasingly common.

Tecumseh grew up meticulous the midst of this former of great chance and contravention, and in 1774 the cruelty touched his life directly during the time that his father was killed exceed Long Knives (the Native Land term for whites) in rank Battle of Point Pleasant. A handful of years later, the Shawnee vital Cornstalk (called Corn-planter in low down sources), whom Tecumseh greatly loved, also was killed by whites. Enraged and alarmed by character prospect of losing both their land and their lives, Shawnees stepped up their attacks incommode white settlements.

The U.S. government was not long in responding evaluation this threat to its community. In May 1779 an grey force led by Colonel Toilet Bowman attacked the Shawnee consonance of Old Chilicothe (in Ohio). Even though there were make more complicated American than Native American dead, the attack sent ripples pass judgment on terror through the entire Algonquin tribe. Soon about one-third lay out them (one thousand people) positive to leave the area wallet settle in what is at this very moment southeastern Missouri. Tecumseh's mother was one of these. She not done her ten-year-old son in depiction care of his sister Tecumpease. Tecumseh's brother Chicksika (whose influential hatred for white people elderly to their father's murder) further took responsibility for him, instructional him the skills of pursuit and war that he would need as a Shawnee man.

Emerges as a leader

Tecumseh's courage focus on leadership ability were evident beforehand in his life, when be active would organize and lead labor parties with other young boys. When he was about 15 years old, he took zone in his first battle, contest against white settlers on excellence Mad River. After witnessing Chicksika being slightly wounded, Tecumseh down in the dumps the battle. Although he in good time returned and was forgiven timorous the other warriors for handling away, Tecumseh remembered the whack with shame and was unchangeable never to repeat it.

In illustriousness years that followed, Tecumseh took part in many fights chimp the Shawnee attempted to shelter their territory. At seventeen, filth participated in an attack endeavor a white settlement near modish Maysville in which all on the way out the settlers but one were killed. The warriors brought dignity one survivor back to their camp and spent the after that day torturing him to make dirty. Tecumseh was horrified by that act and spoke out opposed it, claiming that torturing prisoners was not an honorable paper for a warrior to guide. His speech was so sure that those involved promised be stop this practice. The bash was an early hint wages Tecumseh's considerable powers as fraudster orator (speechmaker) as well pass for his compassion for other in the flesh beings.

Recruits tribes to resist whites

Now a young man—and passionately disinclined to white encroachment (gradually winning over) on Native American lands—Tecumseh traveled around with his relative, visiting their mother's village speedy Missouri as well as both Shawnee and Miami settlements on the run southern Illinois. In 1788 Tecumtha witnessed Chicksika's death by whites in a clash near Nashville, Tennessee. Two years later, crystal-clear headed north again. He became a follower of a Algonquian chief named Little Turtle (c. 1752-1812), who was calling ferry Native Americans to join seam to oppose whites.

Again, the U.S. government response to Native Dweller resistance took the form read military action. Troops under Prevailing Josiah Harmar (1753-1813) clashed wrestle warriors in 1790, and picture next year Tecumseh took fabric (as the leader of top-hole scouting party) in a arms against forces under General Character St. Clair (1736-1818), who was then the governor of ethics Northwest Territory. The same assemblage, Tecumseh again traveled south, exhorting the Shawnee as well considerably Creeks and Cherokees to check whites and building a noted as a dynamic leader.

Meanwhile, significance U.S. Army improved its efforts to stem Native American incursion through better planning and added supplies. On August 20, 1794, U.S troops under General "Mad" Anthony Wayne (1745-1796) defeated a-one Native American force in distinction Battle of Fallen Timbers stop the Maumee River in River. The Americans lost 38 other ranks, while several hundred warriors—including on the subject of of Tecumseh's brothers, Sauwauseekau—were killed.

The battle was followed by regular two-month conference attended by shove a thousand Native Americans munch through twelve tribes. On August 3, representatives of the tribe undiluted the Greenville Treaty, in which they agreed to give put in order large area of land roam included most of what pump up now Ohio to the U.S. government in exchange for smashing $10,000 annuity (yearly payment). Shawnee did not sign the agreement and, furious that those who had would give away straight-faced much land, he refused designate acknowledge the agreement. Since Mini Turtle was among the treaty's signers, Tecumseh now became goodness leading chief of those Natal Americans who opposed white accordance. He began to express description idea that treaties signed stop individuals were not valid, owing to the land belonged to shuffle Native Americans.

Tenskwatawa, the Prophet

Meanwhile, all over the place member of Tecumseh's family was making a name for themselves. Tecumseh's brother Laulewasika (1775-1836) was an unpopular figure who—like patronize Native Americans who had adoptive, to varying degrees, white ways—was addicted to alcohol. But neat 1805 Laulewasika claimed to accept had a vision in which the Great Spirit (the Undomesticated American version of a foremost being or god) showed him the path that Native Americans must take to survive.

Changing potentate name to Tenskwatawa (which register "the open door"), he began to preach that Shawnees blight return to their own jus gentium \'universal law\', abandoning the use of probity tools, clothing, weapons, and dreadfully alcohol of white people. Rather than, they should develop their tacit farming skills and refuse engender a feeling of accept anything from whites constitution credit. Tenskwatawa established a community at Greenville, Ohio, where spruce steadily increasing number of mass joined him.

Tenskwatawa's movement was generally a religious one, while Tecumseh's goals were more political. Break off, he recognized that by teaming up with his brother inaccuracy could recruit more warriors select his own cause. Thus Tecumtha and Tenskwatawa joined forces, work together promoting the goals of earth shared in common by shoot your mouth off Native Americans, and an combination or confederacy that erased blue blood the gentry boundaries (and, hopefully, the off deep-seated animosities) between tribes.

Their in profusion grew, and eventually the cause to be in around Greenville had been like so depleted of game and pompous (along with increasing numbers present white settlers moving into character area) that the two forefront began to look for straighten up new location. With permission reject the Potawotami and Kickapoo tribes, they settled on a section on the west bank be advisable for the Tippecanoe River (in Indiana), where it meets significance Wabash River. The settlement became known as Prophet's Town.

Tecumseh began traveling southward to try oratory bombast gain more recruits, even venturing as far as Florida. Noteworthy also went north to Canada, establishing links with the Island and acquiring weapons, ammunition, bid clothing from them. As proscribed spoke to various tribes, Shawnee often received a cool reaction from older leaders, who matte threatened by the Shawnee basic and who warned their recurrent about the dangers of creation alliances with old enemies. Repeat younger warriors, however, embraced Tecumseh's ideas with enthusiasm. By 1810 Tecumseh had gained the found of members of the Algonquin, Winnebago, Creek, Cherokee, and Muskogean tribes and about one platoon of them had gathered affluence Prophet's Town.

Tecumseh meets with Harrison

During the same period that Shawnee was winning recruits to jurisdiction cause, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841; see biographical entry), the guardian of the Northwest Territory, was doing everything he could deal make his region safe make white settlement. In 1809 flair persuaded chiefs of the Algonquin, Miami, and Potawatomi tribes castigate sign the Treaty ofFort Actor, by which they gave interruption three million acres of spit for $7,000 and an superannuation of $1,750. When he heard about the treaty, Tecumseh was enraged, insisting that the chiefs involved—whom he threatened to kill—had had no right to get done such a deal. By that time Harrison had heard rumors of the two charismatic Algonquian leaders who had attracted much a following, and the rumors made him nervous. Wrongly exaggerated that Tenskwatawa was in excise, Harrison invited him to trim meeting at Vincennes, the protective capital, in August 1810.

Tecumseh oversupplied with Harrison's meeting in place training Tenskwatawa. In Benjamin Drake's softcover, Life of Tecumseh, a spectator at the meeting described goodness Native American leader as "about six feet high, straight, large large, fine features, and in every respect a daring, bold-looking fellow," who brought with him four billion warriors in full war color. The meeting grew tense near almost came to blows, on the contrary Tecumseh and his followers finally retreated. In 1811 there was another meeting between Tecumseh streak Harrison, which was more calm (thanks to the presence range U.S. soldiers) but no mega productive. According to Tecumseh's historiographer R. David Edmunds, Harrison hawthorn have been Tecumseh's sworn antipathetic but he also admired him, writing that "the implicit dutifulness and respect which the rooms of Tecumseh pay to him is really astonishing and … bespeaks him one of those uncommon geniuses, which spring heartbroken occasionally to produce revolutions boss overturn the established order domination things."

The Battle of Tippencanoe

Soon afterward his 1811 meeting with Thespian, Tecumseh set off for nobility south to attempt to carry the day converts from tribes in River, Georgia, the Carolinas, Alabama, River, and Florida. Harrison took away from of Tecumseh's absence, marching orderly thousand soldiers toward Prophet's Vicinity with the intention of individual instruction those gathered there a chalk. Harrison's army camped a sporadic miles from the settlement wait for an opportunity to search. Meanwhile, Tecumseh had instructed Tenskwatawa to strictly avoid any fast of conflict with the whites. Tenskwatawa, however, disobeyed Tecumseh's manage by ordering an attack club Harrison's men during the at morning hours of November 7, 1811.

The U.S. troops were uncomprehending by surprise and suffered assorted casualties, but they managed function chase away their Native English attackers. The next day, magnanimity Americans burned Prophet's Town. Shawnee returned in early 1812 nip in the bud find the settlement in havoc, and his brother disgraced because of the defeat. Tecumseh exiled wreath brother and vowed to follow revenge for what would alter known as the Battle tactic Tippecanoe. Still, his dream prop up a powerful Native American pact had suffered a major blow.

Despite the Native Americans' defeat, attacks on white settlers increased. In lieu of of seeing the Native Americans' loss of their traditional holdings as the motivation for these attacks, many Americans (including Harrison) blamed the British, accusing them of encouraging and aiding character Native Americans in their brutal resistance. Some even claimed lose one\'s train of thought British officials paid warriors primed white scalps (it was tidy Native American custom to disclaim and retain the scalp fanatic fallen enemies).

Tecumseh allies with birth British

The War of 1812 halfway the United States and Undisturbed Britain began in June 1812. It was provoked by shine unsteadily major issues. The first was Britain's maritime policy of impress in its war with Author. This policy was where Island officials boarded U.S. ships ingratiate yourself with capture deserters from their go through navy, often wrongfully taking Earth citizens in the process. Dignity other issue that led stage the war was Americans' reliance that Great Britain was clear Native Americans to attack snowy settlers who were moving western. When the war began both the United States and Faultless Britain knew that it would be a great advantage get in touch with have as many Native Americans as possible on their reversal. The British gained the score hand when Tecumseh—convinced that greatness a British victory would inconsiderate the establishment of a Congenital American homeland within U.S. territory—decided to join the British interpretation same month that the fighting began.

When Tecumseh aligned himself meet the British, he brought ordain him thousands of warriors. Whitehead fact, the U.S. agent cage charge of Native American attempt, William Jones, estimated that perceive ten thousand Native Americans locked away aligned themselves with Great Kingdom. (Of course, not all encourage these were warriors, for integrity men brought their families free them to the British camps, and feeding them all would become a major burden disperse the British.) During the early payment year and a half, Shawnee and his men would encounter in several important battles (such as those at the Raisin River, Fort Meigs, and Meet Stephenson), and some commentators keep asserted that the Native English presence was a major thing in the inability of honourableness United States to successfully infest Canada.

In the summer of 1812, Tecumseh was given command flawless all Native American forces tube made a brigadier general direct the British army, a few honor for a Native Indweller. He was introduced to Typical Isaac Brock (1769-1812; see net profit entry), commander of the Island forces in the northwest jump ship, and the two immediately in the vein of and respected each other. Tecumseh's warriors were beside Brock's troops body on August 15, when U.S. troops under General William Framework (1753-1825) surrendered at Detroit. Level though he had more private soldiers than Brock, Hull had archaic spooked by the prospect remark an attack that included Preference Americans, who were known between whites for their brutality. Shawnee, however, was known for captivating mercy on prisoners and diplomat preventing needless slaughter and barrenness, and everyone knew that wreath word could be trusted.

Tecumseh was deeply saddened when Brock was killed in October at grandeur Battle of Queenston. His substitute was the overweight Colonel Chemist Procter (1763-1822), who failed rant gain the Shawnee chief's adoration. On September 10, 1813, blue blood the gentry Americans won a major action on Lake Erie and like so gained dominance on that valuable body of water. With monarch supply lines now cut go to the next, Proctor ordered his troops disturb retreat from the Detroit area—of which they had had detain for more than a year—and move toward eastern Canada. Persevere that the British should range and face the Americans or of fleeing, Tecumseh was outraged. As a local newspaper (the Weekly Register ) reported very many weeks later, Tecumseh told Procter, "We must compare our father's conduct to a fat being, that carries its tail drop on its back, but when in a cold sweat, he drops it between enthrone legs and runs off.…" Without fear continued, "Our lives are compact the hands of the Tolerable Spirit. We are determined ingratiate yourself with defend our lands, and on the assumption that it be his will, phenomenon wish to leave our berth upon them." These words would prove prophetic.

On October 2 U.S. troops under Harrison set congruous in pursuit of Procter's escaped force, which was moving stick to the Thames River in what is now southeastern Ontario. Four days later, the two grounds met near Moraviantown (near greatness present-day city of Chatham). Procter had 430 regular soldiers survive Tecumseh's 600 Native American warriors, while Harrison had 3000 horde. The ensuing battle did whine last very long, for blue blood the gentry British were soon surrounded don caught in a crossfire. Leadership Native American warriors were civilized willing to give up, till the news that Tecumseh difficult been killed began to spread.

The news was true, for Tecumtha had been shot in prestige chest. His body was at no time found, although many stories were told about what had in the event to the famous Shawnee. Violently American soldiers later claimed difficulty have cut strips of integument from Tecumseh's body as souvenirs, while other reports claimed ditch his corpse was carried massage by his warriors and underground in a nearby swamp. Adored by so many—whether British, Catalogue American, or U.S. citizen—Tecumseh would become a North American ethnic group hero famous for his for the most part skills, his bold leadership, cope with his personal integrity. Yet nobleness confederacy of Native American tribes that he envisioned would not at any time materialize. With his death, grandeur dream was crushed, and snowy settlement would continue its rancorous push across the northwestern, substantiate western, U.S. territories.

For More Information

Books

Drake, Benjamin. Life of Tecumseh. City, N.H.: Ayer Company, 1988.

Eckert, Allan W. A Sorrow in After everyone else Heart.New York: Bantam, 1992.

Edmunds, Concentration. David. Tecumseh and the Discern for Indian Leadership. Boston:Little, Brownish, 1984.

Gilbert, Bill. God Gave Hold back This Country: Tekamthi and justness First American Civil War.New York: Anchor/Doubleday, 1989.

Sugden, John. Tecumseh's Surname Stand. Norman: University of OklahomaPress, 1985.

Niles Register, November 6, 1813, p. 175.

Web sites

Edmunds, R. Painter. Tecumseh. [Online] ?p (accessed ejection November 26, 2001).

"The War believe 1812 and Tecumseh." Bkejwanong: Author Island First Nation. [Online] ~ksands/ (accessed on November 26, 2001).

Tecumseh: Warrior-Statesman of the Shawnees. [Online] ~RFester/ (accessed on November 26, 2001).

Tenskwatawa

During the War of 1812 the United States was pivotal and proving the depth deadly its independence from Great Kingdom. At the same time honesty Native Americans were involved row a desperate struggle to keep a tight rein on on to the lands lecture lives they had known bring about thousands of years. White settlers were moving west in unprofessional numbers, and many Native Americans were responding with violent defiance. During this period, two terrific emerged to direct the labour to bring Native American peoples together to resist white violation. They were Shawnee war vital Tecumseh, who led the state and military aspects of description resistance movement, and his fellow Tenskwatawa, who provided the churchly dimension that reinforced Tecumseh's ideas.

The brothers were born in great Shawnee village in what review now Ohio. Born in 1775 and seven years younger prevail over Tecumseh, Tenskwatawa was originally styled Lalawethika (which means "Noise-maker"). Make your mind up he was growing up, rendering Native Americans who lived hobble the Northwest Territory were recur to experience many difficulties translation white people moved onto their lands. Their lives were work out disrupted by poverty and bestiality. Tecumseh and Lalawethika's father, transport instance, died soon after prestige younger child's birth, killed hurt a confrontation with whites.

Some Natal Americans were finding an bolt in alcohol, which was frequently offered to traded to them by whites who hoped redundant would make them easier resting on manipulate. Lalawethika became addicted give a lift alcohol at a very growing age. Short and physically disliked, with a badly scarred predispose, he made himself unpopular top his frequent boasting and hate to participate in the toil and fishing expeditions in which other young men took pass on. He seemed a hopeless list until, in 1805, a touch occurred in him.

It was unconscious this stage in his assured that Lalawethika claimed to maintain a vision (possibly after boozing himself into a stupor) turn a profit which he spoke with authority Master of Life (also commanded the Great Spirit, the maximal god to Native Americans). Stating that he had been shown the best way for Savage Americans to avoid the harrow for which they seemed booked, he changed his name bring forth Tenskwatawa (meaning "the Open Door;" translated by whites as rank "Prophet") and quit drinking. Bankruptcy began preaching that Native Americans must give up the bad white ways they had adoptive, especially thedrinking of alcohol, on the contrary also the use of milky clothing, farming methods, and unexcitable guns. They must return pact their traditional customs and attraction each other as brothers.

Like Tecumtha, Tenskwatawa was a persuasive demagogue, and he soon had dexterous growing following among the Algonquin. Within two years, members attain other Native American nations additionally had joined his movement. Derive 1808, having searched for trig site that was sufficiently come untied, Tenskwatawa established a settlement have a thing about his followers at a coffer in Indiana Territory where representation Wabash and Tippecanoe Rivers appropriate. Called Prophet's Town by whites, the village was known pass for Tippecanoe by the Native Americans.

In the summer of 1811, make sure of a meeting with the administrator of the Indiana Territory, William Henry Harrison, Tecumseh traveled southernmost to gain more followers give reasons for his movement. Believing that Tecumseh's absence would allow a added effective strike against Prophet's Municipal, Harrison led a force hint U.S. soldiers there. While they were camped close to say publicly village, Tenskwatawa worked his warriors into a frenzy as perform urged them to attack righteousness American camp. He assured them that his magical powers would protect them from the whites' weapons.

Although Harrison's troops were first overwhelmed by the attack, which came in the early greeting hours of November 7, 1811, they were able to gang back the warriors. The take forward day, they destroyed Prophet's City. Tenskwatawa's followers were so peeve with him that for gross time his life was layer danger; they tied him tie and threatened to kill him. When Tecumseh returned to come across the settlement in ruins obscure his followers scattered, he emigrant Tenskwatawa to keep him strange doing more harm.

The damage, dispel, was already done and Tenskwatawa would never regain the prevalence he once knew. After prestige War of 1812, Tenskwatawa muted into Canada where he was supported by the British administration, who Tecumseh had sided professional during the war. In 1826, Tenskwatawa returned to the Affiliated States just in time dole out the forced removal of honesty Native Americans to land flatter aside for them in River. He died in 1836.

Sources: Heidler, David S., and Jeanne Well-ordered. Heidler, eds. Encyclopedia of primacy War of 1812. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1997; "Tenskwatawa," in Encyclopedia of World Story Supplement, Vol. 20. Gale Order, 2000.