Tecumseh Research Paper

Anh Nguyen

HIST 120 online

December 12, 2015

Tecumseh and the Quest for Indian Leadership by David Edmunds

In this biography, David Edmunds studies the life of legendary Shawnee leader Tecumseh and his pivotal role in defending the Native American way of life. Tecumseh was born to Pucksinwah and his wife Methotaske in March, “1768”, in what is currently known as Ohio (17). Tecumseh had many siblings, Chiksika and Tecumapease were his oldest brother and sister (17). Then came Sauwaseekau who was brother to Tecumseh and another sister named Menewaulakoosee, after her Tecumseh was born, after that two more sons were born and after that a set of triplets that included Tenskwatawa, the Shawnee Prophet. Sadly the triplets were born following the

During the summer of 1779, 1000 Shawnees abandon their villages and migrated southwards, including his mother and second eldest sister, leaving him and his other siblings behind. However his childhood was not unsuccessful. Tecumapease and her husband took action into raising Tecumseh and the remainder of his siblings. He was much admired by his peer group and asserted a type of leadership which did not need much encouragement. Tecumseh had the characteristics of being a great young Shawnee warrior. Growing up during the chaos of war, he was profoundly influenced by his experience in these years. The Shawnees always had venerated warriors but the prolonged conflict maximize the role of the war chiefs giving them an increase of authority within the framework of tribal politics. Because of the death of his father, Tecumseh’s idealism of the Shawnee warriors were brought to those standards. About 15 years old,Tecumseh was allowed to join a war party led by his brother, Chiksika, his first battle. However when momentarily confused and shocked by the bloodshed, Tecumseh abandon his position and fled panic-stricken through the forest then later rejoined his brother 's party. Although his flight with excuse he was humiliated as if his pride was stripped away from him (21). He later redeem himself. During 1783, he joined a small war party intent upon ambushing American flat boats going down the Ohio

By 1800 Tecumseh had emerged as a prominent war chief. He led a band of militant, younger warriors and their families located at a village on the White River in east-central Indiana. Five years in 1805, Lalawethika, one of Tecumseh’s younger brothers, experienced a series of visions that transformed him into a prominent religious leader. Taking the name Tenskwatawa, the new Shawnee Prophet began to preach a nativistic revitalization that seemed to offer the Indians a religious deliverance from their problems. Tecumseh was also converted, and accompanied alums side his brother (81). He did not like some of the religious fanaticism apparent in many of the Prophet 's followers, the burning of witches for example. However that all changed the moment when Tenskwatawa predicted the solar eclipse on June 16th, 1806 (82). For many years the Shawnees has been separated but they would all be united under their faith in Tenskwatawa (83).Federal Indian policy contributed to the new movement success. As American immigration flooded into the region, federal official attempted to purchase additional land from the Indians in the northwest. In 1805 the Wyandots, Ottawas, Chippewas, Delawares, Potawatomis, Miamis, Weas, Piankashaws signed treaties relinquishing part off their land to the United States, and gradually it became apparent that most of the original Indian land was being sold away (85). One by one they traveled up Tours Ohio. Although Tecumseh welcome the new arrivals, they