Tecumseh and the Quest for Indian Leadership by R. David Edmunds Reviewed by Opal Harbour September 19th, 2017 Born in 1768 to Shawnee parents, Tecumseh would go on to become the most notable Shawnee chief in recorded history and arguably one of the most famous Native Americans of all time. (canadian encyclopedia source) By 1811, Tecumseh achieved what is often considered his greatest feat, bringing together more than two dozen nations to form a confederation of tribes united against American encroachment on Native land. (pbs source) Despite ultimately failing in his effort to oppose the American invasion, Tecumseh was and is a figure venerated by contemporaries and historians. Even Tecumseh’s enemies described him as an admirable man; John …show more content…
While this special focus casts light on the Indian movement, at times it can feel almost excessive; within many passages, Tenskwatawa overshadows his brother, almost seeming to take over as the subject of this biography. This is most evident with Tenskwatawa, but it is not an issue exclusive to him; in much of the book, Tecumseh finds himself in a somewhat secondary role. This is unfortunate, but ultimately, there may be no way around it; in writing on Tecumseh, the people and circumstances which surrounded him are crucial to understanding his life. Further, one must understand that, while immensely impactful, Tecumseh’s influence was relegated mostly to a period of only a few years, beginning with his rise as a leader of the Pan-Indian movement and ending with his death in 1813. While Edmunds does an excellent job at fleshing out these years, they constitute only a small portion of his life; for many of his other years, Tecumseh must be understood more as a piece of the landscape which shaped his …show more content…
The argument is made that Tecumseh was above all a strategist, a man whose charisma and whose military abilities were what brought him and his movement so close to success. His success was not granted through mysticism, but through his skills as an orator and leader. Edmunds understands Tecumseh as removed from “Noble Savagery” and his reputation as a folk hero; he invites us to view Tecumseh as a great figure of his own making. Despite some of the book’s shortcomings, this is something at which it truly succeeds, and this success makes the book an excellent standard biography of