Today, the lands of Ohio is mostly rural farmland dotted here and there with major urban cities like Toledo, Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati. The state where the major crops are soybean and corn once used to belong to the Native Americans. In those days, the people were even more centered around the rural life. Until of course the white man came. In these shifting times and in this great sprawling backland was born a mighty warrior, Tecumseh.

The Birth of The Warrior

Tecumseh was born in the month of March in 1768. He was born in the village of Piqua on the Mad River in Ohio, to the Shawnee tribe. His father was Puckenshimwa. He had many brothers and sisters. Tecumseh means 'flying or springing across.' The Americans usually translated his name to be 'Panther', 'Shooting Star' or even ‘Crunching Lynx’. Tecumseh's childhood was mostly spent in learning from Chiksika his elder brother. Chiksika taught him how to be a warrior. Tecumseh witnessed his father's death in a fight against the settlers. That was when his anger toward the settlers really began. He would go on to lose two more brothers in the same war.

The Shawnee Tribe

The Shawnee Native Americans were living in the Ohio region as early as the late 1600s. The other dominant tribe in this area was the Iroquois who were unwilling to share the land with the Shawnee tribe. In the battles between these two tribes the stronger Iroquoi defeated the Shawnees many times and attempted to drive them out. Much of the tribe moved to Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Georgia. As the Iroquoi power weakened the Shawnee slowly returned to their homeland. They settled in the lower river valley. The Shawnees were allies of the French until the British won in the French and Indian War. They continued to fight the British until their final collapse.

The Coming of The White People

After the French were defeated in the French and Indian War, the French Posts in the area began to convert into British Posts. The current Shawnee Chief, Chief Cornstalk led his people to war with Lord Dunmore of Virgina. It was during this war that Tecumseh saw the death of his father and his two brothers. Lord Dunhome eventually signed a peace treaty with Chief Cornstalk. This treaty declared the Ohio River being the southern border of Shawnee lands, opening up Kentucky to American settlers.

Tecumseh's First Test & His Resolve

Tecumseh's first military encounter occured in 1782. He was only fourteen years-old as he entered the battle field. George Rogers Clark, a military general, invaded the Ohio country. Tecumseh, struck with panic fled from the battlefield. Later, he remembered his father's death and his pride. Humiliated, he resolved never to be so cowardly again.

Tecumseh's Early Military Career

Thus, Tecumseh emerged to be one of the greatest Native American Warrior. The settlers in Kentucky began to advance north and invade southern parts of Ohio. Chief Cornstalk and his sons went to Lord Dunmore to warn him about these invasions. He and his sons were kept prisoners. Later in the week, some drunken soldiers got together and burned the chief and his family alive. Tecumseh enraged lead his people to war. Time after time his troop would return victorious from battles. He fought the army of Arthur St. Clair in 1791 and emerged victorious. This provided him more support to his cause. The people began to believe in him. The younger soldiers (he was only 23) especially admired him for his bravery and trust. In 1794, however, Tecumseh finally got the taste of defeat. Anthony Wayne and his man overran Tecumseh and his followers at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.

The Changing Times / Tecumseh's Vision

Most of the tribes living in Ohio in 1795 signed the Treaty of Greenville. Under this agreement, the tribes forsooked all of their lands except for a little region in the northwestern parts of Ohio. Not all tribes concurred with this decision, including Tecumseh. Tecumseh was determined that there was only one way to stop the white settlers and that was a united Indian Confederacy. He belived that no single tribe owned the land, that the land belonged to all of the 'Red People'. He said that selling of the land was alright only if all of the Indian tribes agreed to the sale. He enumerated these two points very clearly in a speech that Tecumseh gave to William Henry Harrison, the later president of the United States of America.

Fulfilling The Vision

To fulfill his dream and his vision Tecumseh and his brother began to visit tribes at the west of the Applachian mountains. His brother Laulewasika changed his name to Tanskwatawa or The Prophet. This greatly helped Tecumseh's cause.

Many people believe that the curse of Indian chief Tecumseh has killed every U.S. President before the end of their term in office, if they were elected in a year that ended with 0. The first victim of the curse was William Henry Harrison, whose troops killed the Indian chief in 1813.

The British people promised Tecumseh that he would get the Indian’s united land and freedom if he helped Great Britain or Canada fight against the Americans as the modern name of the region.

So wearing a brigadier-general’s suit he helped the British people in the annexation of Detroit. They did have the freedom for some time. But Harrison was not happy with this so he held many wars against the Indians. At the Battle of Thames, Tecumseh was shot and killed by Colonel Johnson’s Kentuckian Cavalry. This made the Indians really mad and wiped off the Colonel’s army. So end’s the great story of the great war chief who is honored both by white and Indians.