Tecumseh (Essay Sample)

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Tecumseh
The Native American communities have always engraved a great history of their resistance, conflict and resolution to adapt to the new American world. Commonly known as red Indians, the real findings of how the Native Americans did manage to settle in America long before the English and European populace did migrate to this new land. The scientific analysis of the genetical formation of the Red Indians has been classified, and are said to be related to the Asian populace that lives in the Asian nations. Culturally enriched, the set up of the Native American communities in the traditional aspect of how they lived their lives was very civil, as they always maintained peace and understanding among each other. The one modernizing factor of the Native Americans was that they all leaned on each other and did corporate in their daily operation to ensure the survival of each village community. This study is going to focus on an epic individual – Tecumseh. The great heroic events sculptured in Tecumseh’s life did greatly influence the Indians courage towards their uprising against the whites especially with his campaign to unite the Indians to fight against the whites in America.
Tecumseh is originally rooted from the Native American Community, and it is modernly a town distinguished with great history and significance. Tecumseh was a Native American male individual who did uphold a great strength in resisting the inducement of the Whiteman’s culture and way of life. The Whiteman which is in reference of the English and European populace that migrated through the sea channels from their lands to America did have the aim of wanting to have full control of this new land and all its findings (Tucker 45). They found the Native American communities to be too primitive for development and stability. This did influence the emerging conflict between both the Native Americans and themselves. The main reason for this was because the Native American communities did want to maintain their freedom on living in America freely as they did without interference of power and control from any foreigners.
Tecumseh was born in 1768, and he is remembered for being a great participant in the Shawnee Native American community that gravely fought against white foreigners. As a Shawnee Indian political leader, he did play a major role on how the Native American communities did resist their adaptation to a new more civilized life as presented by the foreigners. Another major role that Tecumseh did take on during his life was being a war chief. Tecumseh, which means Shooting star or the panther across the sky did emerge as a strong leader that could guide the Native American communities against the foreigners seeking to take over their lands and livelihoods.
The early life history of Tecumseh begins from his birth which occurred in a small town known as Chillicothe that was set up along the Scioto River. Tecumseh’s parents did come from an ancestry line of leadership. His father, Puckshinwa was a minor war chief of the Shawnee Indians of Kispoko. Tecumseh’s maternal background starts from his biological a mother – Methotaske did articulate leadership as well as his maternal great- great- grandfather was a prominent chief of the Pekowi and turtle clans among the Native American communities.
During Tecumseh’s childhood, his father- Puckshinwa was killed in 1774, during his participation in the Battle of Point Pleasant of Lord Dunmore’s war. Puckshinwa’s death was mainly caused upon the breakage of a treaty of the foreigners not to cross the Indian Land territories of which they did. This act did stimulate Tecumseh’s desire to join the war and thus developed his great conviction of becoming a Shawnee warrior. This dream was turned into a reality in 1783 when Tecumseh joined Shawnee band and did align his interest with their own of stopping the whites from invading the Indians lands. Some of the tactics used by the Shawnee band used against the whites was in attacking the flatboats used by the whites to travel down the Ohio River to reach the Indian lands. This technique was very effective in ceasing the river traffic and thus gave the Indians some time of freedom from the invasion of the whites.
Eventually, Tecumseh did start to lead his very own band of warriors and thus started rising high in his rank as he gained more trust from the Native American populations. Tecumseh joined his older brother at war as they allied with the British against the Americans. After his older brother’s death at war, Tecumseh took over his brother’s role of leadership among the Shawnee, and that is how he managed to become a leader of a small Shawnee band (Foner and John).
In 1809, William Harrison merged with a new treaty for the Indians to sign. The treaty stated that the Indians were to give up 3 million acres of their lands to the whites in order to make this area common ground for the public society. Some Indian communities and their chiefs did agree to this treaty as they were provided with lots of alcohol to appease their desires. Other Indians were threatened and forced to sign the treaty by Harrison and thus Tecumseh did feel that this was not a legal agreement articulately written up by the president of the United States.
Due to this event, Tecumseh began his even stronger resistance against the whites as he rounded up a group of four hundred red Indians and went to Harrison’ dwelling at Grouseland. The confrontation was not successful as Harrison did refuse to return the lands to the Indians and Tecumseh who was ready to start a war was convinced by Potawatomi to leave with the armed Indians. As a result the four hundred men who had accompanied him to confront Harrison disbanded and went back to their respective communities leaving Tecumseh without sufficient resources of armed men for war.
Eventually, Tecumseh did go to live with his younger brother as he was noted to migrate from one location to another, not out freedom and adventure but rather due the whites’ invasion in each newly settled village. Due to the conflict between Harrison and Tecumseh, Tecumseh decided to campaign to other Indian communities to join in his venture to fight against the whites by allying with the enemy of their enemy. In this case he was referring to the British armed forces as their best ally. Tecumseh did recruit a good number of natives from this campaign and this was an activity that had never been conducted before among the Indians. He gained their confidence and trust as well faith in his plan in taking over the whites and stopping them from taking over the Indians lands.
Tecumseh did manage to round a good group to partake in the war against the whites. His younger brother’s role as a religious leader was the most important tool in getting the Indians to listen and believe as he was highly trusted by the commoners of the Indians society (Grant). During his alliance with the British armed forces, Tecumseh did assist with the siege of Detroit that was very successful. He used his wits in confirming to the Americans that he had a larger army than their expectation leading the American General Hull to surrendering out of fear. This success was later in the same year overturned by Harrison who charged at the British army and Tecumseh’s army and managed to ride them out. The siege of Fort Meigs was the next success of Tecumseh as he allied with the British. The whites who had been captured in this event were murdered by the Indians and this event did host the heroic title embalmed on Tecumseh...