Shawnee war chief Tecumseh dedicated his life to stopping American
expansion and preserving the lands and cultures of North American
Aboriginal peoples. He travelled relentlessly trying to build a
confederation of tribes that would stop the territorial ambitions of the
newly created United States of America.
Tecumseh tried both diplomacy and battle to preserve his Ohio Valley
homelands. When he realized that neither could stop the American
advancement, he turned to the British in Canada for help as the War of
1812 began. He and Isaac Brock, British geneal and Canadian hero,
caputured Detroit early in the war and historians believe they would
have gone on to more impressive battles had Brock not fallen at
Queenston Heights in 1812. After the loss of Brock, some success was
achieved against the Americans, notably in the woods at Fort Meigs,
Ohio, in May 1813. But when the Americans won the decisive Battle of
Lake Erie later that summer, the door to Canada was opened. Chased by
his nemesis William Henry Harrison, Tecumseh and the British retreated,
making a final stand at the Battle of Moraviantown. Tecumseh was killed
in the battle. His death marked the end of First Nations resistence to
American expansion south of the Great Lakes.
A great leader, Tecumseh left an indelible mark on the history of both
Canada and the United States. The story of his struggle to preserve a
vanishing culture is one that remains relvant toda. One of the greatest
tributes to Tecumseh came from his enemy, Harrison, who later became
president of the United States. He called Tecumseh an "uncommon genius,"
who in another place, another time, could have built an empire.
