His alliance in ruins, Tecumseh sided with the British in the War of 1812.
When Tecumseh returned from a diplomatic expedition in November of 1811, he found his capital city abandoned and in ruins. The tribes of his union were in disarray and, more importantly, anxious to engage the Americans in all out warfare. Some now began their own raids on white settlements—uncoordinated attacks that accomplished little but more destruction. An all out war seemed eminent. This is what Tecumseh had feared the most. Not only would another war endanger his chances of reestablishing the alliance of tribes, but it was not his intention to instigate hostilities. The purpose of Tecumseh’s union, and the state that was to follow, was not invasion or direct conflict with the United States. It was meant to act as a deterrent, to prevent the further annexation of lands as a result of white encroachment, direct invasion, or the infamous “whiskey treaties”—a form of “diplomacy” where the American representatives ply Indians with alcohol in exchange for land cessions. It was not his intention to start a war, only to provide the means to defend his people against one. Now, as his dream lay strewn about the burned out cinder that was once Prophetstown, Tecumseh was faced with an even more daunting task than building his union…he would now have to rebuild it amid a western landscape in the midst of war.
At this point in time, the U.S. government was engaged in speculation as to British interference with American shipping, particularly with respect to the taking of American sailors on the high seas—a practice known as impressing. Some of the more hawkish members of Congress saw this as an opportunity to finally remove the British from North America and pushed for a declaration of war. Moreover, leaders of the western territories, whose domains bordered the remaining British forts (territory that had not been ceded to the United States per the Peace of Paris), were concerned that the British were arming and supporting Indian attacks in the region. While the British administration in Canada had given arms to tribes in exchange for goods in the past, they did not supply them with the means to topple the Americans. Nonetheless, this did provided enough speculation to keep the hawks in Congress arguing for war. Given the rising tensions of the time period, Tecumseh realized that he would soon have to take a side should hostilities between the United States and Great Britain begin anew. He still had the loyalty of the Shawnee, not to mention the power of his vision of a united Indian confederacy still has its proponents among those now scattered tribes. Tecumseh was also aware that the Americans would not make trustworthy allies and positioned himself to offer the support of his 2,000 warriors to the British.
With this move, Tecumseh played right into the hands of the war hawks in the U.S. government. By offering his support to the British, he was validating the concerns of the few in Congress who feared an Indian-British conspiracy. Grateful for his support, and recognizing his capabilities as a military leader, the British government commissioned Tecumseh a Brigadier General in 1812. Though this command was far from the alliance he had envisioned, Tecumseh proved to be a highly skilled military leader. He was instrumental in planning the successful take over of Detroit, engaged Harrison and held up the American advance, and covered the British retreat into Canada after the Lake Erie campaign. It was during the Battle of the Thames in October of 1813 that the visionary leader of the western alliance fell to the American advance.
See also:
Tecumseh's Union
Bibliography
Mark C Carnes. U.S. History. (New York: MacMillan Library Reference, 1996).
Angie Debo. A History of Indians of the United States. (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press,1970).
John Sugden. Tecumseh: A Life. (New York: Owl Books, 1998).
