Mini Page Heroes: Tecumseh
Before the U.S. Constitution was adopted in 1787, we were governed by a document called the Articles of Confederation.
Confederationn means a joining together for a common purpose. The newly independent American Colonies joined together as states in a confederation. Their unity gave them strength.
A shared idea
That’s exactly what a Shawnee Indian named Tecumseh tried to do in the early 1800s with numerous American Indian tribes. White people were sweeping across the country, taking land from American Indians and offering little or nothing in return. Tecumseh worked hard to unite the Indians into a strong Shawnee Confederation that could resist this invasion.
But it wasn’t easy. The members of each tribe were fiercely proud of their individual tribal identities and leaderships.
Tecumseh was a gifted speaker. His words convinced American Indians that unity would help them hold on to their land. Traveling thousands of miles through the territory east of the Mississippi River, Tecumseh forged the largest united group of American Indian nations ever.
In 1808, he and his brother, Tenskwatawa, called the Shawnee Prophet, established a village called Prophetstown. There, confederation members could follow traditional American Indian ways and train to defend their land. Tecumseh told the governor of Indiana that Native Americans wanted to be peaceful, but they could not accept the treaties that were taking away the land they had lived on. But the confederation couldn’t stop the westward movement of white settlers.
In 1811, Tenskwatawa sent the unified warriors into battle against white soldiers, although Tecumseh warned that the confederation was not strong enough. The warriors were defeated. Prophetstown was destroyed, and the American Indians were scattered.
A life of war
Tecumseh was born in what is now Ohio in 1768. His name means “shooting star.” His father, a warrior, was killed by frontiersmen in 1774, and Tecumseh decided he wanted to be a warrior.
He fought in many battles as a young man. Later he represented the confederacy, telling settlers they wanted to be at peace.
Tecumseh was killed during a battle in October 1813, and most of the tribes in the confederation surrendered to the Americans.
Today, respect for Tecumseh extends far beyond the American Indian community. Throughout our country, you will find towns, schools, even a U.S. Navy submarine named in his honor.