It had been about two centuries since the native tribes in North America had made contact with Europeans and over those centuries they found themselves being pushed further and further west. Hundreds of tribes dotted the continent and while they could often hold their own in battles against the Europeans, they often lacked the resources and man power to defeat them in a drawn-out war. The Shawnee, Tecumseh, had seen the way that the American Colonies had united against Great Britain and won their independence. It was clear that individually the colonies were no match against the great power of the crown, but when they united, they changed history. Tecumseh knew that if he could unite the tribes into a confederation to fight as one, they could also be a formidable force and could halt white expansion. If not for the Battle of Tippecanoe, Tecumseh’s dream may have changed the future of the United States, and our map could have looked much different than it does today. In this video, I’ll give you the back story, tell you about the battle itself, and take you to four locations relevant to the battle to show you the awesome sites while discussing the history.
About 1805, Tecumseh’s brother Lalawéthika, later known as Tenskwatawa, or “The Prophet”, began to preach and lead a movement for the tribes to reject all ways of the Europeans, and to return back to the ways of their ancestors. They soon settled a new village, near modern day Greenville, Ohio with followers of their movement. The American pioneers began to be weary of the gathering of Indians from tribes from all over and a great concern was raised concerning their intentions.
In 1808, due to the tension that was forming, Tecumseh and The Prophet decided to move their town further west, near where the Tippecanoe River empties into the Wabash River, outside of modern-day Lafayette, Indiana. This town became known as Prophetstown. Thousands of people from many tribes flocked the Prophetstown and lived communally as one people. It was the success of Prophetstown that likely encouraged and convinced Tecumseh that it was possible to unite all the tribes in one confederation. Harrison marched his troops up the Wabash River and built Fort Harrison near Terre Haute, Indiana. While at Fort Harrison, some Delaware chiefs reported the ill intentions at Prophetstown and one of the guards was shot. This was all that Harrison needed to justify his campaign against Prophetstown.
Harrison marched his men further up the Wabash River near the mouth of the Tippecanoe River to Prophetstown. He set up his camp on a knoll along Burnett’s Creek, just a short distance from his enemy. Plans were made for Harrison to meet with The Prophet the next morning, but he ordered that his men bed down fully dressed and prepared for eminent battle. They kept their fires burning bright in order to illuminate the dark.
The actions that night have been disputed. Many have stated that The Prophet was against any attack against the Americans and that he tried everything that he could to ensure that the warriors followed Tecumseh’s command to not fight. However, some have said that The Prophet was too arrogant to avoid contact and encouraged the warriors to fight. No matter the true story, The Prophet promised the warriors that he would chant and pray to cast spells to assure that no Indian would be harmed, and that the American camp would be full of confusion.
An American named Ben had deserted to the Indians and attempted to lead a group to Harrison’s tent to assassinate him, but he was captured by the sentries. An estimated seven hundred warriors completely circled the American camp. No one is sure who fired the first shot but around 4 a.m. on 7 November 1811, the battle began. Fighting erupted all around the camp but some of the heaviest fighting happened at the rear where Captain Spier Spencer’s Indiana Yellowjacket Militia was positioned. The unit was nicknamed the “Yellowjackets” due to the light-colored buckskins that they wore.
The battle lasted for about two hours, and eventually the warriors retreated into the forest. The Americans had about 188 casualties and about 62 died in the battle or from wounds sustained in the battle. It is estimated that about 120 of The Prophet’s warriors were killed or wounded. The next day Harrison’s troops went to Prophetstown and found it abandoned except for one elderly sick woman. The Americans burned the town to the ground. The American success of the battle has been debated. Some eastern newspapers called it a disaster and even a defeat. Many well-known and well-loved Kentuckians and Indiana pioneers were killed. Harrison of course called it a major success with the destruction of Prophetstown.
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