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Tecumseh: Chief of the Shawnee (Spirit of America Our People)

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This should be an easy one, but what 18th century American political leader urged his followers to "Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours." This enlightened view came from not one of the nation's Founding Fathers but from "Tecumseh, the Chief of the Shawnee." Ironically, Tecumseh attempted to do for Native Americans what the Founding Fathers did with the English colonies. During the administration of James Madison, when Tecumseh was at the height of his powers, Tecumseh developed the doctrine that the Native Americans were all "children of the same parents," who owned their land in common. Consequently, he maintained that any sale or treaty cessation of land was invalid unless all the tribes agreed. Realizing that an alliance of Ohio Nations could never stop the westward movement of the American settlers, Tecumseh tried to develop a grand alliance of all the tribes in an effort to keep the Americans east of the Ohio River.

In this juvenile biography of "Tecumseh: Chief of the Shawnee" for the Our People series, C. Ann Fitterer traces the history of Tecumseh and his conflict with the Americans. The first chapter tells of how Tecumseh was named "panther passing across the sky" after a meteor streaked across the sky right before his birth, and the second looks at the important lessons he learned in his youth. The last two chapters look at his efforts to unite his people against the Americans despite a series of military defeats. Fitterer contrasts Tecumseh's reputation as a fierce warrior with his kind and generous spirit. Obviously, his efforts were unsuccessful, but his attempt was certainly laudable and his life embodies the virtues Americans respect.

William Henry Harrison, who defeated the Shawnee led by Tecumseh' brother, the Prophet, at the Battle of Tippecanoe, once said that if Tecumseh had not had the United States to contend with he would have carved out an empire to rival that of Mexico or Peru. Of course, Tecumseh was motivated by the expansionistic efforts of the Americans. The volume has sidebars on not only Harrison but also the Prophet and the Shawnee, while the margins are crammed with Interesting Facts regarding Tecumseh's life. The back of the book has a brief Time Line of his life, a few Glossary Terms, and some sources For Further Information. The problem is that few aspects of Tecumseh's life are well documented, so that Fitterer can only sketch out his life. However, the end result is still enough to explain to young readers why Tecumseh is considered a true American hero, whose statue stands on the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy.