Tecumseh

The history of the conflict between Native Americans and European settlers is taught to high school, or even grade school, students in one way, that the Native Americans were a savage and barbaric people, out solely for American blood. Students were led to believe that in order to survive European settlers had to drive away and kill the Native Americans. According to Edmunds, this is not necessarily the way it was. Edmunds says that the Native Americans, more specifically the Shawnees, got along find with their white European neighbors. It was not until 1711 that the Shawnees began to have relation problems with their European neighbors:

“The colony began to attract large numbers of Europeans fleeing religious oppression on the Continent…Mennonite settlers moved into the lower Susquehanna Valley in such numbers that the Shawnees were forced to

. . .
This is where Tecumseh comes into view. ” (42) Not only was this not a very fair deal, but it was not agreed upon by all Native Americans who used the land. No matter what beliefs were held by the Native Americans, the Americans had the treaty and were set on keeping the land. This is why Edmunds wrote about Tecumseh, because in a time of great confusion and anger, he rose above the rest and tried to get something done. move…During the next two decades, similar intrusions occurred, and by the late 1730s most of the tribe had migrated west…” (4)

With these intrusions the Shawnees just packed up and left, not starting any conflict. The Native Americans held the belief that land could not be owned, that it could merely be occupied, and once it became unoccupied it reverted to its natural state, ready to be occupied by anyone. They made alliances with the French whom occupied territory near them, as to not start any fights. Then when the British began to regain ascendancy the Shawnees “scrambled to accommodate to the changing circumstances”. His brother Lalawethika, also known as Tenskwatawa or the Prophet, brought many Native Americans from many different tribes together under one religious movement. (6) The Shawnees always seemed to be giving in to the Europeans just to keep things at peace, but the Europeans seemed to keep pushing the line between peace and war.

This is not to say he did not have help. Although they were here first and had their own lives to live, they were pushed off their lands to accommodate European expansion.

Tecumseh became the leader the Native Americans needed.

The Europeans soon began to trick and even force the Native Americans off of their lands.

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Approximate Word count = 827
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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