A vivid account of the rivalry between future president William Henry
Harrison and the Shawnee chief Tecumseh--and of the Native American
alliance that fought westward expansion--from the New York Times
bestselling author of Astoria
The conquest of Indigenous land in the eastern United States through
corrupt treaties and genocidal violence laid the groundwork for the
conquest of the American West. In Gallop Toward the Sun, acclaimed
author Peter Stark exposes the fundamental conflicts at play through the
little-known but consequential struggle between two extraordinary
leaders.
William Henry Harrison was born to a prominent Virginia family, the son
of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He journeyed
west, became governor of the vast Indiana Territory, and sought
statehood by attracting settlers and imposing one-sided treaties.
Tecumseh belonged to an honored line of Shawnee warriors and chiefs. His
father died while fighting the Virginians flooding into Kentucky, and in
his dying words extracted a promise from his sons to "never give in" to
the land-hungry Americans.
Tecumseh was, by all accounts, one of the nineteenth century's greatest
leaders. An eloquent speaker, he traveled from Minnesota to Florida and
west to the Great Plains convincing far-flung tribes to join a great
confederacy and face down their common (American) enemy. Eager to stop
U.S. expansion, the British backed Tecumseh's confederacy in a series of
battles during the forgotten western front of the War of 1812 that would
determine control over the North American continent.
Tecumseh's brave stand was likely the last chance to protect Indigenous
people from U.S. expansion--and prevent the upstart United States from
becoming a world power. In this fast-paced narrative--with its sharply
drawn characters, high-stakes diplomacy, and bloody battles--Peter Stark
brings this pivotal moment to life.
