Tecumseh Essay

Tecumseh

Tecumseh, along with his brother Tenskwatawa, help organize an alliance against the United States during the early part of the nineteenth century. As a boy during the American Revolution, Tecumseh participated in combined British and Indian attacks on American colonists. This helped him grow anti American feelings especially because his lands were being lost to the white man. During the war of 1812, he allied with the British against the Americans, hoping that he would be able to save his homelands from further conquests by the Americans. For the main part of the war, he and his men would raid and attack American forces and settlements until he was killed by William Henry Harrison's army at the Battle of the Thames in Canada on October 5, 1813

Nature: Most historians believed that Tecumseh was influenced by nature to defend the native lands to the American oppressors. His main goal was to unite the native tribes of the Ohio and Indiana territory to unite into a single Indian confederation. This confederation was created in order for the natives to protect themselves from the growing bad influence of the U.S. that resulted from trading with them which included alcoholism and also spreading diseases. But most importantly, there main cause was to hold onto their lands that they hold sacred.

Supernatural: Tecumseh believed in the Great Spirit, a supreme being that was also believed in by various native American cultures. The Great Spirit is generally believed to be personal, close to the people, and immanent in the fabric of the material world. Throughout his campaign, Tecumseh was said to have been given many signs and guidance from the Great spirit. His brother Tenskwatawa was a prophet of the great spirit who helped Tecumseh provide spiritual leadership for the confederacy of the natives. although Tenskwatawa preaching itself evolved into a new type of religion, Tecumseh wasn't that much involved with it although he did transform the Prophet's religion into a movement dedicated to retaining Indian land.

Universe: There really isn't that much information about what Tecumseh viewed upon the universe. Based on the fact that he believed that God gave land to the Indians to use not to own, I would have to assume that they would use the land that they were born to. It wouldn't matter if they were in a forest, the coastline, or desert, many Native Americans beliefs were that of being in exactly the right place. He also believed that the great spirit was the creator of everything.

Time: There is little information that I found about Tecumseh relating to his stance on time. From the little information that I've read, I can make a pretty good educated guess of what he could have believed in. His tribes belief was that the Great Spirit would lead each individual to his/her own destiny. That would lead