Podcast – Tecumseh and Harrison

Today I will talk about the meeting between Indiana Territorial Governor William Henry Harrison and the great Amerindian leader, Tecumseh.

From the Book
Southwest Indiana Day Trips

Transcript:

Greetings, today I will talk about the meeting between Indiana Territorial Governor William Henry Harrison and the great Amerindian leader, Tecumseh. An historical marker on Scott Street in Vincennes notes the occasion.
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Title of Marker:
Tecumseh and Harrison

Marker Text:
Here, Shawnee warrior Tecumseh met with Indiana Territory Governor William Henry Harrison in August 1810 and July 1811. Tecumseh spoke for a growing confederacy of American Indians led by his brother Tenskwatawa (The Prophet); he denounced 1809 Treaty at Fort Wayne in which U.S. government continued policy of taking Indian lands by treaties with village chiefs.
Tecumseh told Harrison: Indian lands were common property and could not be sold without agreement of all Indian nations; the confederacy wanted to keep peace and their lands, but would defend their villages from U.S. advance. In Tecumseh’s absence, 1811, Harrison led troops into contested lands along Wabash River. Battle of Tippecanoe ensued, November 7.

Brief History
Tecumseh (March 1768 – October 5, 1813)
Tecumseh rose to become a great Shawnee chief and leader of Tecumseh’s Confederacy. His birth probably took place near Old Chillicothe, in present day Ohio. His father, Puckshinwa, probably was a Creek. His mother, Methotaske, was a Shawnee. Colonials killed his father at the 1774 Battle of Point Pleasant. His upbringing during in the Ohio Country exposed him to constant warfare and upheaval as the whites continued to pour into first the Ohio Territory, then the Indiana Territory. During his lifetime, he saw the constant erosion of native lands and culture. After his father’s death at the hands of whites, Tecumseh vowed to be” a fire spreading over the hill and valley, consuming the race of dark souls”
Tecumseh’s Confederacy
Tecumseh dreamed of establishing a vast confederacy of native tribes to oppose the whites and stop their encroachments on tribal lands. He worked incessantly at this goal and came close to achieving it. In 1810, enraged by the 1809 Treaty of Fort Wayne that ceded over three million acres of land to the whites, Tecumseh gathered 400 warriors and marched on Vincennes to confront Indiana Territorial Governor Benjamin Harrison at Grouseland. Tecumseh demanded that Harrison rescind the treaty. Harrison refused. Tecumseh began urging the warriors to kill Harrison. Harrison pulled his sword in defiance. The situation diffused when Potawatomi Chief Winnemac urged a peaceful resolution. Tecumseh left Grouseland with the warning to Harrison that if he did not nullify the treaty, Tecumseh would renew the Shawnee alliance with the British.
Visitors will find a statue honoring Tecumseh at 17 Hart Street in Vincennes.
The huge carved wooden statue is in an isolated location at the end of Hart Street. Sculptor Peter “Wolf” Toth carved this impressive monument, which was dedicated in October 2009.

The episode is based upon my book, South Central Indiana Road Trips, available on the web site, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com. The book is the first book in the 9 volume Road Trip Indiana Series. The books include all the historical markers, as of 2022, in Indiana with the text and back story. The books also include a nearly complete listing of virtually every tourism destination in the state. The destinations include parks, museums, drive in theaters, bowling alleys, wineries and much, much more. I encourage you to visit the web site and subscribe to it.
You can find my books locally at the Walnut Street Variety Shop in Batesville, Indiana.
I hope you enjoyed this podcast and thank you for listening.