|
Tenskwatawa -
|
In the fall of 1811, while Tecumseh
was away on a six-month trip aimed at convincing the southern tribes to
join the Confederacy, U.S. soldiers under William Henry Harrison decided
to attack Prophet’s Town. They saw the village as a dangerous symbol
of native resistance and a barrier to white settlement. The ensuing Battle
of Tippecanoe was not a major military encounter. Although more American
soldiers died in the skirmish than native warriors, Harrison’s troops
advanced into the village and razed it to the ground, claiming a great victory.
After the battle, Tenskwatawa was blamed for allowing the community to be destroyed. One group of warriors was so angry that they tied him up and threatened to kill him. The failure of his military leadership and magic to protect Tippecanoe was a major factor in the decline of the Prophet’s influence. After the War of 1812, Tenskwatawa stayed in Amherstburg and feuded with a succession of British Indian agents. He finally returned to the United States and died a broken man in Kansas in the fall of 1836. He moved there in a last-ditch attempt to consolidate his power and become the leader of a displaced group of Shawnees. He was a pathetic figure by the end; the epitome of everything he once claimed to despise. He had become an advocate of land trades and deals with the Americans. Although Tenskwatawa is often portrayed as a cowardly demagogue overshadowed by his legendary brother, The Prophet’s religion was essential to Tecumseh’s success. His spiritual message added credibility to Tecumseh’s political and military plans. It is important to remember that it was Tenskwatawa, not Tecumseh, who started the reform movement. This religious movement, flawed as its leader may have been, was meant to solve the very real problems which the influx of white culture had incurred for native people. Tecumseh has become one of the most heroic figures in North American history, but he could not have achieved that status without the tragic character of Tenskwatawa by his side.
|
