Why Study Tecumseh

Posted by Jeffrey R Gudzune Jul 22, 2007

You can't have a nation without a capital. You can't start a revolution without a philosophy. These constructs are at the heart of nation-building and Tecumseh realized that. This is why he allowed his brother's missionaries to join him on his embassy to the western tribes. While he cemented his union he was also constructing Prophetstown--an Indian capital city, designed to be the cultural, political, and spiritual center for his new country. A student of American history, Tecumseh was aware that to unify a people you have to appeal to the nationalism within them; a concept hard to delineate when you consider the fact that native tribes were all seperate peoples. What he envisioned was not unique, but the energy with which he pursued his goals is what makes Tecumseh an important subject,