Fast Facts about Tec*mseh Fast Facts about Tec*mseh Tribe: Shawnee Place of Death: Moravian of the Thames (in modern Chatham-Kent, Ontario) Tec*mseh - The Battle of Fallen Timbers Tec*mseh's War - Treaty of Fort Wayne Tec*mseh Tec*mseh's War - Recruitment Campaign
The following fact sheet contains interesting facts, background history and information about the life of Tec*mseh and the events in history that led to his fame as a great Native American Indian leader.
Lifespan of Tec*mseh: 1768 – 1813
Place of Birth: Scioto River, near Chillicothe, Ohio
Date of Birth: March 1768
Date of Death: October 5, 1813
Name of Father: Puckshinwa
Name of Mother:Methoataske
Siblings: Tenskwatawa the Prophet
Famous Battles in Tec*mseh's War (1811–1813): The Battle of Tippecanoe (1811), the Battle of Fallen Timbers, the War of 1812 and the Battle of the Thames
Death of Tec*mseh: The great Shawnee chief Tec*mseh was killed in the Battle of the Thames on October 5, 1813
The Battle of Fallen Timbers was fought on August 20, 1794. The Western Confederacy of Native American tribes including the Shawnee, Lenape, Mingo, Wyandot, Miami, Ottawa, Ojibwa (Chippewa) and the Potawatomi joined together to battle against the US army under Major General Anthony Wayne. The Native Indian leaders included Chief Blue Jacket, Chief Little Turtle, Chief Buckongahelas and Tec*mseh. The Native Americans were defeated. The Treaty of Greenville was signed on August 3, 1795 and ended the Northwest Indian War in Ohio Country. The Battle of Fallen Timbers secured the northwest frontier and demonstrated the strength of the new national government following the American Revolutionary War
Tec*mseh’s War started when Governor William Henry Harrison negotiated the Treaty of Fort Wayne where the Native American Indians gave up 3 million acres of Native American land to the American settlers. The negotiation was questionable as it was unauthorized by the President and the United States government. According to the historians, it was comparable as bribery as the Governor gave out huge subsidies to the tribes and their chiefs before the negotiations happened.
Tec*mseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and Tec*mseh’s Confederacy which was a huge tribal LEAGUE. Tec*mseh declared that land could not be ceded by one tribe because it was owned by all tribes in common. This confederacy was known for going against the United States as they battled to gain an independent Indian state. They allied with the British government so they could achieve their goal, to rid themselves of the American settlers that were situated in their region.
Tec*mseh was alarmed by the enormous sale of Native American land that he traveled from different tribes, from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and asked them to leave their chiefs and join him against the signed treaty. He was accompanied by his brother Tenskwatawa, known as the Prophet, to realise his plans to found a pan-Indian league or confederacy. He told the other tribe members that the treaty was illegal. Tec*mseh asked Governor William Harrison to cancel the signed treaty and return the land purchased from the natives. Unfortunately, the governor refused to give in to Tec*mseh's demands.
Tec*mseh's War - Governor William Harrison
On August 1810, Tec*mseh together with 400 armed warriors met with Governor William Harrison at his Vincennes home in Grouseland. The tribe’s presence surprised the entire town and the situation became more dangerous when Governor William Harrison denied Tec*mseh’s request. The governor argued that any tribe can have a peaceful and working relationship with the United States. Tec*mseh’s actions were not pleasing to the tribes in the area. Tec*mseh rebutted:
"... you have the liberty to return to your own country ... you wish to prevent the Indians from doing as we wish them, to unite and let them consider their lands as common property of the whole ... You never see an Indian endeavor to make the white people do this ... Sell a country! Why not sell the air, the great sea, as well as the earth? Did not the Great Spirit make them all for the use of his children? How can we have confidence in the white people?"
After Tec*mseh’s rebuttal, he asked his warriors to kill the governor. The governor was quick enough to pull out his sword while the town’s battalion went to defend the governor. Potawatomi Chief Winnemac, asked the warriors to leave after he argued and rebutted with Tec*mseh. Before Tec*mseh’s tribe left, he told Governor William Harrison that as long as he will not cancel the treaty, he will ask for the British government to help them.
Tec*mseh summoned to Harrison’s home a few times in 1811 due to the murder of some American settlers on the border line. Tec*mseh had defended himself that his tribe wanted to have peace with the Americans, but the outstanding issues needed to be resolved otherwise, there would be war.
Tec*mseh's War - The Battle of Tippecanoe (November 7, 1811)
The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought on November 7, 1811, between United States forces led by Governor William Harrison and forces of Tec*mseh's growing American Indian confederation, led by his younger brother Tenskwatawa. Tec*mseh was temporarily out of the region on a recruiting venture among the Creeks in the south, After a 2 hour battle, the Native Americans were forced to flee and their village, the meeting place of Tec*mseh's confederacy, was destroyed.
Tec*mseh - The War of 1812
During the War of 1812, Tec*mseh sided with the British as he had threatened. On August 16, 1812, he led his warriors in a combined assault with British troops against Detroit. It was a great victory as the American garrison was forced to surrender. During the following year Tec*mseh strengthened his forces with recruits from distant Sioux and Chippewa tribes.
Tec*mseh - The Battle of the Thames
Tec*mseh assembled his confederation of warriors during the spring of 1813. On April 26, 1813 the chief began a well planned siege that ended in the defeat on May 5, 1812 of a sizeable force of soldiers under the command of William Henry Harrison. Five months later on October 5, 1813 near Chatham, Ontario, the great Shawnee chief Tec*mseh was killed in the Battle of the Thames. The dream of Tec*mseh and the great Indian alliance and confederacy died with him.
Famous Tec*mseh Quotes
Famous Tec*mseh quotes include the following. He rallied many tribes to his alliance by his attacks on white people:
"Brothers, the white people are like poisonous serpents: when chilled they are feeble and harmless,
but invigorate them with warmth and they sting their benefactors to death."
"Live your life so that the fear of death can never enter your heart...Love your life, perfect your life, and beautify
all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and in the service of your people.”
"When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose lives are filled with the fear of death, so that when time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.
Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”
The Story of Tec*mseh
For additional facts and information refer to the legend and the Story of Tec*mseh.
Tec*mseh
- Interesting Facts and information about Tec*mseh
- The life of Tec*mseh, this famous Native American Indian Chief
- The Name of his Native American Indian Tribe: Shawnee
- Fast Facts and info about Tec*mseh
- Interesting Homework resource for kids on Tec*mseh, a famous chief of the Shawnee tribe
- Tec*mseh
Pictures and Videos of Native American Indians and their Tribes
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