AComprehensiveHistoryoftheMostImportantNativeAmericanResistanceMovementTheShawneeleaderTecumsehcametoprominenceinawaragainsttheUnitedStateswagedfrom1811to1815.In1805,Tecumseh’syoungerbrotherLalawethika(soontobeknownas“theProphet“)hadavisionforanIndianrevitalizationmovementthatwouldrestoreNativecultureandresistAmericanexpansion.Tecumsehorganizedthegrowingsupportforthismovement,whichcamefromIndigenouspeoplesacrosstheOldNorthwestandpartsoftheGreatPlains,intoaloosebutpowerfulmilitaryalliance.Inlate1811,whileTecumsehwasawayonarecruitingmissionintheSouth,GeneralWilliamHenryHarrisonledanarmytothecenterofNativeresistanceatProphetstowninpresent-dayIndiana.IntheearlymorninghoursofNovember7,inwhatcametobeknownastheBattleofTippecanoe,Harrison’smenfoughtoffanIndianattack,whichmarkedthebeginningofTecumseh’sWar.Sevenmonthslater,whentheUnitedStatesdeclaredwaronBritain,thusinitiatingtheWarof1812,theBritishandTecumsehforgedanallianceagainsttheUnitedStates.Initially,theAnglo-IndianallianceenjoyedconsiderablesuccessatDetroit,Chicago,Mackinac,andelsewhere,exposingmuchoftheOldNorthwesttoborderwarfare,butthetideturnedin1813whenHarrisoninvadedCanada.OnOctober5theAmericanarmydefeatedamuchsmallerAnglo-IndianforceintheclimacticBattleoftheThames.Tecumsehwaskilledinthisbattle,andalthoughhisconfederacydisintegrated,BritishsupportensuredthattheIndianwarwouldcontinueforanothertwoyearswiththeSaukchiefBlackHawknowprovidingtheinspirationandleadership.Tecumseh’sWarendedonlyinlate1815aftertheBritishmadepeacewiththeUnitedStatesandabandonedtheirnativeallies.Tecumseh’sWar:TheEpicConflictfortheHeartofAmericaisthefirstcompletestoryofthismajorconflict.DistinguishedhistorianDonaldR.HickeydetachesitfromtheWarof1812,movingTecumseh’sconfederationtocenterstagetotellthesweepingandengrossingstoryofthislastgreatIndianWar--thelasttimethatIndigenousPeopleshadapowerfulEuropeanallytoopposeUnitedStatesexpansionandthusthelastchancetheyhadofshapingthefutureofthecontinent.
