Tecumseh: Great Leader of the Great Plains Indians

In this essay, the author

• Describes tecumseh's early life, birth and influences, american events, religious support, campaigning throughout the frontier, treaty of fort wayne, battle of tippecanoe, weakening of the confederation, war of 18121.
• Explains that the american frontier-men found a major obstacle in the shawnee leader, tecumseh, as he wielded more power than any other north american indian before him.
• Explains that tecumseh was the son of puckeshinwau, a chief of the kispapocoke clan, and methoataske, who belonged to the creek tribe.
• Explains that tecumseh had a mixed upbringing in his formative years, and his encounters with the americans were often negative.
• Analyzes how tecumseh hated turning away from the indian traditions and wanted the natives to return to their previous way of existence, one of living off the land and not at the mercy of traders.
• Explains that tecumseh formulated a plan to counter the threat the americans posed, which he spent most of his life trying to fulfill.
• Explains that tecumseh was aided in spreading his idea by his brother, tenskwatawa the prophet, who through trances, dreams and hallucinations developed a native religion which rapidly gained support throughout the tribes.
• Describes how the brothers built prophet's town on the shores of the tippecanoe creek in present-day indiana, where they lived by the old traditions peacefully.
• Narrates how governor harrison called indian chiefs to fort wayne, where he obtained their signatures on a treaty, ceding three million acres of land in indiana, some of which belonged to tribes not present.
• Narrates how tecumseh took three hundred warriors with him to meet harrison at vincennes. he presented the indian cause with such eloquence that the interpreter had a hard tome following him.
• Explains that tecumseh was set on war and hoped for british support against the americans. he crossed into canada to obtain support from the british. harrison wanted an excuse to attack village while they lacked their powerful leader.
• Describes how tecumseh was flung into war before he could construct a strong indian union.
• Analyzes how tecumseh was furious when he returned from his travels in the spring of 1812. the majority of the inhabitants of prophet's town were gone, and the growth of his confederation had been delayed.
• Explains that the battle of tippecanoe diminished much of the power that tecumseh and his brother once held, but there was still a chance for his plan to succeed: the coming war between britain and the united states.
• Explains that the united states declared war against britain, sending agents to the frontiers to enlist indians, but the british saw them as a definite force multiplier.
• Narrates how tecumseh decided to side with the british and took command of the indians. he argued passionately against joining the americans.
• Narrates how he visited the southern tribes and told them that the americans would make them give up their traditions so they had to fight back. the british forces soon arrived at pensacola gave guns and ammo to the tribe.
• Analyzes how the war was evenly matched between the natives, the british, and the americans until september 10th, 1813, when commodore perry of the american navy gained control of lake erie.
• Opines that tecumseh was the greatest indian leader of his era. he succeeded in stopping the american westward movement into indian territory by creating a united indian front and later assisting the british in the war of 1812.
• Cites bearcroft, bw, blodget, brian, coit, margaret, and debo, angie. the last fighting indians of the american west.