FACTS ABOUT TECUMSEH

1. Tecumseh was born in what is today Ohio in 1768. He was the son of a chief in the Shawnee tribe.  His name meant “shooting star” or “blazing comet”.
2. During his childhood, villages he lived in were attacked several times by whites, forcing his family to move. Despite seeing the results of white atrocities, he insisted when he was leader that his men avoid torturing their prisoners.
3. His father was killed fighting in Lord Dunmore’s War. Before dying, he supposedly told Tecumseh’s oldest brother to never make peace with whites and to train Tecumseh to be a warrior.  The brother was later killed in an attack on a fort and another brother was killed in the Battle of Fallen Timbers.  Tecumseh fought in that battle, as did a young William Henry Harrison.
4. The battle resulted in the Treaty of Greenville which gave up Indian lands. Tecumseh refused to abide by the treaty and began to unite the tribes of the Ohio River valley against white encroachment. A skilled orator, he traveled to speak to many tribes, including:  Seneca, Wyandot, Sac, Fox, Winnebago, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, Chippewa, Ottawa, Delaware, and Miami.
5. His brother Tenskwatawa had been an alcoholic until he had a vision that called him to a life of mysticism. With Tecumseh’s oratory and The Prophet’s mystical powers (he predicted an eclipse), Indians came to join the coalition.  Prophetstown was created as the base of the army.
6. When Tecumseh traveled south to Georgia and Alabama to recruit, Gen. William Henry Harrison took the opportunity to march on Prophetstown. Although Tecumseh had insisted that The Prophet avoid combat while he was away, his brother decided to launch a surprise attack on Harrison’s camp.  The Prophet convinced his warriors that bullets would not hit them because of his incantations.  That proved to be false as Harrison’s soldiers defeated the attack and captured Prophetstown.  This Battle of Tippecanoe put Harrison in the White House (“Tippecanoe and Tyler Too”).  Tecumseh returned to find his town in ashes, as well as his dream of an Indian confederacy.
7. In the War of 1812, Tecumseh sided with the British. He played a major role in defeating an invasion of Canada by intercepting a supply train going to the invading army.  The threat of his Indian warriors caused the surrender of Fort Detroit.
8. On October 5, 1813 Tecumseh was killed fighting with the British at the Battle of the Thames River. Richard Johnson claimed credit for killing him in a cavalry charge.  Johnson rode his fame to the Vice Presidency as Martin Van Buren’s running mate.

https://www.history.com/news/6-things-you-may-not-know-about-tecumseh

https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/tecumseh?li_source=LI&li_medium=m2m-rcw-history

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tecumseh-Shawnee-chief

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tecumseh

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