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Essay / Tecumseh - Shawnee Native American Warrior and Chief
Tecumseh was a Shawnee Indian whose goal was to prevent Indians from being displaced by the government. He was known for being long-winded, knowledgeable, polite and direct (Ripper, 2008). Tecumseh organized one of the most successful resistance movements against the United States in the early 1790s, uniting several indigenous groups in what became known as Tecumseh's Confederacy. There was no true centralized intertribal leadership for Native Americans, so when one group entered into a treaty, the treaty did not represent the interests or feelings of other Indian tribes. American negotiators used this fact to their advantage by offering the Indians lavish gifts such as money and liquor to those who wanted them, who, in turn, would sign for those who did not want them (Ripper, 2008 ). Tecumseh noticed these actions and was not going to stand by and let the white settlers take advantage of the Indians and their land. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In the early 1790s, the United States suffered numerous military defeats against armies led by the Shawnees. At the time, General Anthony Wayne formed a militia known as the "American Legion" to fight against the Indians. In 1794, the Battle of Fallen Timbers took place and the Shawnees were defeated. It was in this battle that Tecumseh proved his worth and became famous (Ripper, 2008). One of the most significant problems the federal government faced was its inability to control frontier vengeance by seizing Indian lands, thereby creating poor relations between the Indians and the federal government. The federal government held meetings with Tecumseh and other Indian tribal leaders to try to reach accommodations. In 1810, William Henry Harrison and Tecumseh met and exchanged two days of contentious negotiations. The meeting was precipitated by the Treaty of Fort Wayne, arranged by Harrison in 1809, which brought together a few Indian chiefs to intoxicate them and make them cede lands belonging to other tribes (Ripper, 2008). The United States granted none. of Tecumseh's demand to return land that was illegally sold. By 1808, relations between whites and Indians had become even more strained than in the recent past. It was in 1811 that everything took a turn for the worst between the Indians and the federal government. Governor Harrison became convinced that Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa were going to attack the capital, even though both men repeatedly tried to reassure Harrison that his accusations were false (Ripper, 2008). Harrison created an army of militia and federal troops to attack the Indians before they could strike first. Battles between Harrison and Tecumseh led Tecumseh and other Indian tribes to side with the British during the War of 1812. On October 5, 1813, the fighting evolved into hand-to-hand combat with swords, tomahawks and sharp knives. At some point during the battle, Tecumseh fell to the ground and never got up again (Ripper, 2008). Native Americans fought to preserve their lands, but were no match for the federal government and their armies. The removal of Indian tribes is what we call the Indian Removal Act which was signed by Andrew Jackson. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized document from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay My question is: How does the Indian Removal Act?