Essays on Tecumseh

Tecumseh was born in Shawnee territory (now Ohio) between 1764 and 1771. As a teenager he joined the American Indian Confederacy. In the late 1780s, Tecumseh participated in a series of raids on settlers.

In 1791, Tecumseh returned to the Ohio Country to take part in the Northwest Indian War as a minor leader. In 1794, he fought in the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Tecumseh did not attend the signing of the Treaty of Greenville (1795) which forced the Indians to forfeit much of their land in the Northwest Territory.

By the early 1800s, Tecumseh had settled in Ohio and was a respected leader, war chief and orator. In 1805, his brother Lalawethika experienced a vision and declared his intent to lead Indians and changed his name to Tenskwatawa and became known as “the Prophet.” In 1806, hordes of Indians from various tribes began following the Prophet. In 1808, Tecumseh and the Prophet established a village Americans would call Prophetstown.

In 1811, William Henry Harrison marched his forces toward Prophetstown with the intent of destroying the village. Harrison defeated the Indians who then abandoned Prophetstown. The Battle of Tippecanoe became a devastating blow to Tecumseh's confederacy.

Tecumseh joined British forces in Michigan during the War of 1812 and played a key role in defeating American forces at the Siege of Detroit. Tecumseh joined British invasion of Ohio and fought against Harrison and his army. Tecumseh was killed on October 5, 1813.

Tecumseh was an esteemed leader and a gifted orator, who promoted resistance to the expansion of the United States onto Native American lands. Tecumseh was widely admired in his lifetime, even by Americans. In the United States, Tecumseh became a legendary figure.