Tecumseh Research Paper

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Working with his brother, Tecumseh was able to gather Indians for his confederation because he was a talented and trusted chief. He spread his message and beliefs to all tribes “west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River” ("Tecumseh's Confederation"). Tecumseh believed the only way to slow or stop the settlers from taking more land was to join all of the tribes into a single confederation (West). He knew that if each tribe stood alone, they would all fall to the Americans ("Tecumseh's Confederation"). Tecumseh traveled all over Indian territory trying to attract tribes to join his cause from 1807-1811 (West). Many Indians were inspired by the brothers’ message and began to change their lifestyles to follow Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa. The brothers and their followers founded a town in Greensville before moving it to another area in Indiana and calling it Prophetstown in 1808 (West). In 1810, by the time spring came, there were around one thousand warriors preparing to fight the Americans under Tecumseh (Debo 105). Tecumseh’s following was the only major resistance to the cession of land to the Americans at the time. However, Prophetstown did not have adequate resources, which weakened the confederation and left it vulnerable. While Tecumseh was away, American forces followed William Henry Harrison to Prophetstown in 1811. Before he left, Tecumseh had warned his brother not to attack the Americans. However, he did not listen to his brother’s advice. As a result, the Indians were defeated and Prophetstown was burned in November of 1811 in the Battle of Tippecanoe. This spelled the end for the confederation, as many Indians were disheartened and gave up on Tecumseh’s ideas and dreams. When Tecumseh returned, there was nothing left of his confederation. Despite his leadership skills, no one was willing to follow him when he tried to rebuild the confederation (“Tecumseh’s Confederation”).

During the War of 1812, Tecumseh decided to support the British and many Indians followed him because they were once again confidant in his leadership. The Indians were called upon by both America and Great Britain to fight with them at the beginning of the War of 1812. The Indians were divided over which side to choose, but many followed Tecumseh and decided to fight with the British (Debo 109). Tecumseh was reluctant to depend on white men, but there was a possibility of a separate Indian state if Great Britain won the war (West). After he decided which side to fight for, Tecumseh sent his warriors to hassle American forces and officially started the violence of the War of 1812. Despite his efforts to convince the Indians to fight with the British, the Indian tribes were separated, fighting on both sides. Tecumseh was the leader of the group of Indians that fought for Great Britain in the War of 1812. When he was killed during the Battle of the Thames on October 5, 1813, it left the Indians on the British side without a leader. Under Tecumseh’s orders, the Indians refused to retreat while their British allies fled. The British forces then completely retreated from American soil. The Americans took back their land and continued to expand westward onto Indian territory (Debo 109-111).

The influences Tecumseh had in his life molded him into a very capable leader. Because of this, he played prominent roles in the development of the relationship between Indians and Americans. Since he was not afraid to stand up for the rights of his people, he left a lasting impression on the people of America. His dreams and beliefs drove him to be recognized as the leader of all Indians during the fight against the Americans. As historian Angie Debo said, “As a statesman, orator, patriot, warrior, and as a chivalrous, generous, honorable human being, Tecumseh stands as one of the greatest Indians known to history” (106).

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Works Cited

Debo, Angie. A History of the Indians of the United States. 1st ed. N.p.: U of Oklahoma, 1974. Open Library. Internet Archive, 20 May 2012. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.

History.com Staff. "Tecumseh." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 10 Mar. 2017.

"Tecumseh Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2017.

"Tecumseh's Confederation." Ohio History Central. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.

Tucker, Glenn. Tecumseh: Vision of Glory. New York, NY: Cosimo, 2005. Print.

West, Elliot. "Tecumseh's Last Stand." American History Dec. 2012: 34-41. INSPIRE. Web. 3 Mar. 2017.