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Tecumseh: A Life
If Sitting Bull is the most famous Indian, Tecumseh is the most revered. He does not stand for one tribe or nation, but for all Native Americans. He remains the ultimate symbol of endeavor and courage. Over thirty years in the writing, this is the first authoritative biography of the principal organizer and driving force of Native American confederacy. For anyone studying the early years of the Republic or Native American history, it is essential reading.
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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About the author
John Sugden
47 books25 followersAn independent scholar and a former associate editor of Oxford University Press's American National Biography project, John Sugden holds degrees from the Universities of Leeds, Lancaster and Sheffield.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 41 reviews
November 15, 2024
“…the occasional triumph, in moments of great adversity, of the human spirit.”
TECUMSEH: A LIFE took me a decent bit of time to get through. I just did not find this book all that engaging.
Author John Sugden is clearly a good researcher. He did his homework with a difficult subject. However, he is not a very engaging writer!
Sometimes in this text all the detail is a bit much. Eventually tribal names and locations lose any distinctiveness, and it all just jumbles together.
I did like that this book depicts Indians as people, not as some idealized (and false) idea of a noble savage. Indians are people (gasp) and people are the same the world over. I was surprised to learn that there were witch hunts in the native community, ones very reminiscent of the famous trials in Salem, that the Indians overhunted at times, had tons of civil strife, fought over religious values/beliefs, allowed petty jealousies to destroy the greater good, etc. In short, they were like everybody else. It was the greatest strength of this text to read a book that just presented facts without judgment, and with no agenda. At one point Sugden writes, “The assumption that people consistently live up to their best principles is, we all know, a naïve one.” He is talking about all of us there!
Overall, TECUMSEH: A LIFE seems to be a mostly balanced biography. Tecumseh was a great leader, not a saint. And in preserving that humanity of Tecumseh’s, Mr. Sugden does him a great service.
TECUMSEH: A LIFE took me a decent bit of time to get through. I just did not find this book all that engaging.
Author John Sugden is clearly a good researcher. He did his homework with a difficult subject. However, he is not a very engaging writer!
Sometimes in this text all the detail is a bit much. Eventually tribal names and locations lose any distinctiveness, and it all just jumbles together.
I did like that this book depicts Indians as people, not as some idealized (and false) idea of a noble savage. Indians are people (gasp) and people are the same the world over. I was surprised to learn that there were witch hunts in the native community, ones very reminiscent of the famous trials in Salem, that the Indians overhunted at times, had tons of civil strife, fought over religious values/beliefs, allowed petty jealousies to destroy the greater good, etc. In short, they were like everybody else. It was the greatest strength of this text to read a book that just presented facts without judgment, and with no agenda. At one point Sugden writes, “The assumption that people consistently live up to their best principles is, we all know, a naïve one.” He is talking about all of us there!
Overall, TECUMSEH: A LIFE seems to be a mostly balanced biography. Tecumseh was a great leader, not a saint. And in preserving that humanity of Tecumseh’s, Mr. Sugden does him a great service.
July 3, 2019
This is a great book to read not only to learn about Tecumseh, but his brother, "The Prophet", the inter-tribal intricacies of pre-1812 America, the inner workings of the British and American States, and how it all came together (sadly) in the War of 1812 - after which point, the Indians were irrevocably rent. This was not necessarily a "fun" book to read, but more a sobering history (on all sides) of North America at this point in history. It seems scrupulously researched and paints Tecumseh as a hugely admirable man, but certainly not a perfect human being - or the idol he became for many people. He certainly had much more honor and integrity than most of those he was dealing with in positions of power at that time.
October 26, 2019
I don't know if any newer biographies of any depth exist and if they're better or not. This is very good.
First, the fact that Sugden is not American probably gives him a different, and generally good angle. (I've read a British history of what we Yanks call The American Revolution.)
Sugden notes that Tecumseh's younger brother, The Prophet, took the lead on leadership among the two when both were in younger years. Only later did Tecumseh stand out, and he did so for many reasons.
First, attempts at intertribal unity had been done before. Tecumseh didn't re-invent the wheel, but he did do a very good job at building on the past, including widening the geographic spread of his appeal. The difficulties with language and with culture were tough.
Also tough? Within his own Shawnees, some wanted to take over more of the white culture. One chief said Shawnees should let go of their ideas that farming was "women's work" rather than the white yeoman's "honest toil." Beyond that, as shown later on across the west, some chiefs were bought off by liquor or other things, and yet others wanted peace at almost any cost.
Second, Tecumseh was a great civil and war leader both.
Sugden also shows the "dance" that anti-American Indians did with the British from 1783 and the independence of the United States on.
He also rejects mythical material.
First, the fact that Sugden is not American probably gives him a different, and generally good angle. (I've read a British history of what we Yanks call The American Revolution.)
Sugden notes that Tecumseh's younger brother, The Prophet, took the lead on leadership among the two when both were in younger years. Only later did Tecumseh stand out, and he did so for many reasons.
First, attempts at intertribal unity had been done before. Tecumseh didn't re-invent the wheel, but he did do a very good job at building on the past, including widening the geographic spread of his appeal. The difficulties with language and with culture were tough.
Also tough? Within his own Shawnees, some wanted to take over more of the white culture. One chief said Shawnees should let go of their ideas that farming was "women's work" rather than the white yeoman's "honest toil." Beyond that, as shown later on across the west, some chiefs were bought off by liquor or other things, and yet others wanted peace at almost any cost.
Second, Tecumseh was a great civil and war leader both.
Sugden also shows the "dance" that anti-American Indians did with the British from 1783 and the independence of the United States on.
He also rejects mythical material.
January 20, 2019
Really, the decline and fall of the Native American lands.
As Manifest Destiny became more imminent, Tecumseh attempted to fend off the advancing settlers and form a Federalist type governance amongst the varied tribes across the current Midwest (central Indiana to Detroit to Cincinnati).
Ultimately, his alliance with the British during the war of 1812 failed and led to his demise.
Good read, packed with information
As Manifest Destiny became more imminent, Tecumseh attempted to fend off the advancing settlers and form a Federalist type governance amongst the varied tribes across the current Midwest (central Indiana to Detroit to Cincinnati).
Ultimately, his alliance with the British during the war of 1812 failed and led to his demise.
Good read, packed with information
February 19, 2023
Tecumseh. The image conjured is one of pure nobility. Respected by both American Indians and white Americans alike, Tecumseh is one of a very small number of Native American historical figures to enjoy a positive public perception. Yet, this positivity engenders its own labyrinth of pitfalls. The mythologized version of Tecumseh the collective American consciousness has inherited is not his true biographical identity. Noble, brave, honorable, innovative, to be sure. But Tecumseh has become a larger than life mythological character, as opposed to the vibrant flesh and blood historical figure he truly was. John Sugden deserves great credit for his efforts to rescue the true figure of Tecumseh from the nearly fairytale character he has become, shrouded in obscurity from generations of well-intentioned, but historically harmful cheerleaders.
I can personally attest to the inaccuracy of the publicly perceived portrayal of Tecumseh. I am a native and resident of the region of southern Ohio near Tecumseh’s birthplace and childhood homeland. I live less than an hour’s drive from his likely birthplace along the Scioto River, and an even shorter distance from his later homes of Kispoko Town and Piqua along the Mad River. Tecumseh is a hugely popular historical figure in Ohio’s history. There is an outdoor drama “Tecumseh!” in modern Chillicothe, Ohio, performed nearly nightly during the summer months. I have attended it numerous times, including this past summer most recently. Yet, it is based more on the mythology of the man, than on more historically accurate scholarship, such as that performed by Sugden in this work.
Sugden admirably tries to “read between the lines” of the often contradictory and confusing historical references to Tecumseh. Sadly, because the Shawnee and most Native American peoples of North America did not employ written records, we have no “primary sources” from the man himself. This makes Sugden’s work all the more laudable and impressive. He relates the biographical data on Tecumseh as accurately and reliably as possible, given the paucity of information on much of his life. For any student of early American history or Native American studies, this is surely a must read account.
I can personally attest to the inaccuracy of the publicly perceived portrayal of Tecumseh. I am a native and resident of the region of southern Ohio near Tecumseh’s birthplace and childhood homeland. I live less than an hour’s drive from his likely birthplace along the Scioto River, and an even shorter distance from his later homes of Kispoko Town and Piqua along the Mad River. Tecumseh is a hugely popular historical figure in Ohio’s history. There is an outdoor drama “Tecumseh!” in modern Chillicothe, Ohio, performed nearly nightly during the summer months. I have attended it numerous times, including this past summer most recently. Yet, it is based more on the mythology of the man, than on more historically accurate scholarship, such as that performed by Sugden in this work.
Sugden admirably tries to “read between the lines” of the often contradictory and confusing historical references to Tecumseh. Sadly, because the Shawnee and most Native American peoples of North America did not employ written records, we have no “primary sources” from the man himself. This makes Sugden’s work all the more laudable and impressive. He relates the biographical data on Tecumseh as accurately and reliably as possible, given the paucity of information on much of his life. For any student of early American history or Native American studies, this is surely a must read account.
May 11, 2014
An excellent well-researched biography of one of the most interesting characters in American history. More than a biography, Sugden’s book is also a tale of how the British, the Indians, and the Americans struggled for power in the Old Northwest.
Sugden does a great job documenting Tecumseh’s life and putting it in the context of the Indian-white struggle for power in the Old Northwest. The meat of the book is Tecumseh’s dream of an Indian confederacy to resist white expansion into that territory.
Sugden’s biography features many remarkable characters such as Tecumseh’s brother Tenskhatawa (“The Prophet”). It also shows the various different approaches the tribes took in dealing with the white man.
Tecumseh slowly built a following to resist white expansion. He was leery of the British, but concluded that he needed their weaponry in order for his vision to work. Tecumseh proved to be skilled fighter and a brilliant tactician. But in the end, Tecumseh was flustered by supply lines that were too long and by his partnership with the indecisive General Proctor, who lacked resolution and vision and made decisions that made little sense to the British high command or to Tecumseh, who had proved himself to be the best asset the British had.
Sugden does a great job documenting Tecumseh’s life and putting it in the context of the Indian-white struggle for power in the Old Northwest. The meat of the book is Tecumseh’s dream of an Indian confederacy to resist white expansion into that territory.
Sugden’s biography features many remarkable characters such as Tecumseh’s brother Tenskhatawa (“The Prophet”). It also shows the various different approaches the tribes took in dealing with the white man.
Tecumseh slowly built a following to resist white expansion. He was leery of the British, but concluded that he needed their weaponry in order for his vision to work. Tecumseh proved to be skilled fighter and a brilliant tactician. But in the end, Tecumseh was flustered by supply lines that were too long and by his partnership with the indecisive General Proctor, who lacked resolution and vision and made decisions that made little sense to the British high command or to Tecumseh, who had proved himself to be the best asset the British had.
August 10, 2008
For me, Tecumseh was always one of those tragic "noble savages" who was turned into a one-dimensional mythological character down through the years. Like many Indian leaders, he was venerated only after he was dead and thereby no longer a threat to the "Manifest Destiny" of America. Sugden goes a long way towards humanizing Tecumseh, without engaging in apotheosis or character sniping. Still, he comes off as a larger-than-life figure. Can you imagine anyone today taking on the combined roles of President / Secretary of State / General to the degree that Tecumseh did -- and nearly pulling it off? Sugden appears to have command of both the larger geo-political conditions of the day and the blood and tactics of individual battles and Indian village life. Sugden is a dramatic storyteller. He gives such a vivid portrait of Tecumseh's life that by the end, when T. is killed in battle, you feel as if you're reading a novel.
May 20, 2019
Please note: this is an scholarly history of Tecumseh, not a popular one, so it shouldn't be evaluated for its breezy writing or gripping narrative, but for the thoroughness and integrity of Mr. Sugden's research, and how well he supports his thesis. I'm not in a position to judge any of that. Yes, I have an undergraduate degree in US History, but I took exactly one class about Native Americans, and it wasn't mandatory. I now know a lot more about Tecumseh than I did before reading this book, so that's worth three stars, at least. Mr. Sugden is an academic historian who supports every fact with a footnote and provides an exhaustive list of his sources, so that gets "Tecumseh: A Life" to four stars. But it's the kind of book you admire instead of love so I can't go any farther than that.
November 22, 2022
Well researched. Interesting how much of what happened during his lifetime is unknowable.
October 10, 2018
It is a purely education book, but gives the author's opinion here and there given the rumor and romantic subject matter.
June 15, 2013
This book has more background and personally history of Tecumseh than the book I read about Tecumseh and Brock. A very interesting and detailed account of his life. A worthwhile and recommended read for anyone interested in Canadian history, U.S history and the history of the aboriginal peoples. It is a pity from all the accurate and comprehensive studies on Tecumseh that he is not more widely recognised for his contributions to history whether it was the one war of 1812 or the other war for the aboriginal peoples that lasted until 1818 or his contributions of localised history of the U.S and the First Nations.
February 20, 2021
This book is based on a thorough review of primary and secondary sources with 45 pages of notes and a 15 page bibliography. Sugden developed a highly descriptive portrayal of Tecumseh’s life from the time of his birth in the late 1760’s through his young adulthood in the early 1790’s when as a member of the Shawnee nation he was witness to and a member a confederacy of Native American nations trying mightily to stave off the invasion of American settlers into the Ohio Valley and what was known in those times as the Northwest Territories (Michigan, Wisconsin, etc). Finally the author depicted Tecumseh’s efforts in the years leading up to and including the War of 1812 during which he crafted and lead another confederacy in alliance with the British in that war making one last final and valiant, albeit ill fated, effort to save the world they had lived in from being overrun by American settlers.
As one might hope to see in a scholarly book like this one Sugden evaluated the sources on which he relied to write this book. For example, after noting that there were contradictory accounts of some events he tried to determine which one seemed more valid. When a source was based on an individual’s memory of an event many years after it had happened the author acknowledged that this might not have been completely accurate.
The strength of such a thorough and textured account means that one got a very realistic sense of who Tecumseh was. On the one hand, he was a masterful leader equally adept at both diplomacy and warfare. He was also seen by many as humane and honorable. On the other hand, he was sometimes inclined to impulsiveness and strategic blunders which cost the lives of his followers. And he could be mercenary and cruel at times.
The weakness of Sugden’s attention to detail is that it sometimes got tedious. Not being a fan of military history, for example, the last few chapters on the War of 1812 got to be TMI for me. I was not really interested in how many men and /or much weaponry each side had in their battles. Nor did I want to know exactly how they fought these engagements. Thus, I found myself skimming much of the last 75 pages or so of the book.
To the author’s credit he included a few chapters on the important role which Tecumseh’s younger brother, known as the Prophet, played as a spiritual leader in attracting followers to the confederacy leading up to the War of 1812. Also informative were a number of maps and reproductions of paintings of Tecumseh, other important American and British figures in his life, and places where events took place. Finally, there was an interesting epilogue in which Sugden articulated the ways in which Tecumseh has been portrayed in both American and Canadian history and literature as well as in Nazi Germany in the 1930’s where his life was used as a way for Hitler, et al to motivate their nation to unify with Germans throughout Europe.
I would recommend the book for readers who have a great interest in Native American history. Those with patience will come away richly informed.
As one might hope to see in a scholarly book like this one Sugden evaluated the sources on which he relied to write this book. For example, after noting that there were contradictory accounts of some events he tried to determine which one seemed more valid. When a source was based on an individual’s memory of an event many years after it had happened the author acknowledged that this might not have been completely accurate.
The strength of such a thorough and textured account means that one got a very realistic sense of who Tecumseh was. On the one hand, he was a masterful leader equally adept at both diplomacy and warfare. He was also seen by many as humane and honorable. On the other hand, he was sometimes inclined to impulsiveness and strategic blunders which cost the lives of his followers. And he could be mercenary and cruel at times.
The weakness of Sugden’s attention to detail is that it sometimes got tedious. Not being a fan of military history, for example, the last few chapters on the War of 1812 got to be TMI for me. I was not really interested in how many men and /or much weaponry each side had in their battles. Nor did I want to know exactly how they fought these engagements. Thus, I found myself skimming much of the last 75 pages or so of the book.
To the author’s credit he included a few chapters on the important role which Tecumseh’s younger brother, known as the Prophet, played as a spiritual leader in attracting followers to the confederacy leading up to the War of 1812. Also informative were a number of maps and reproductions of paintings of Tecumseh, other important American and British figures in his life, and places where events took place. Finally, there was an interesting epilogue in which Sugden articulated the ways in which Tecumseh has been portrayed in both American and Canadian history and literature as well as in Nazi Germany in the 1930’s where his life was used as a way for Hitler, et al to motivate their nation to unify with Germans throughout Europe.
I would recommend the book for readers who have a great interest in Native American history. Those with patience will come away richly informed.
June 23, 2020
Just as too many cooks spoil a broth — too many names, places and banal gatherings ruin a good story about a significant historical figure.
Tecumseh: A Life as written by John Sugden starts off with a well-woven introduction that seductively foreshadows much to learn about the American Indian leader. Instead, we get an overly scholarly narrative that details a dizzying number of tribes and leaders and entreaties with rapidly encroaching Europeans.
Yes, I get it. The tribes were many. And mindsets were as varied as their numbers.
As a result, the actual story arch of Tecumseh gets lost — almost like an afterthought. Well, not almost, but it reads like just that. Sure I understand the importance of creating context for Tecumseh — how and what it was that led to his path in life.
Read and learn if you wish. I did. But much like Tecumseh’s many struggles, this book’s 400 pages can be a battle at times.
Tecumseh: A Life as written by John Sugden starts off with a well-woven introduction that seductively foreshadows much to learn about the American Indian leader. Instead, we get an overly scholarly narrative that details a dizzying number of tribes and leaders and entreaties with rapidly encroaching Europeans.
Yes, I get it. The tribes were many. And mindsets were as varied as their numbers.
As a result, the actual story arch of Tecumseh gets lost — almost like an afterthought. Well, not almost, but it reads like just that. Sure I understand the importance of creating context for Tecumseh — how and what it was that led to his path in life.
Read and learn if you wish. I did. But much like Tecumseh’s many struggles, this book’s 400 pages can be a battle at times.
October 10, 2020
Despite precious few primary sources, this work still manages to piece together the extraordinary life of Tecumseh from his birth in central Ohio, to his youth fighting in the Northwest Indian War, to his monumental achievements in establishing an pan-Indian alliance to oppose the United States in the War of 1812. All the information about Tecumseh comes from the observations of others, and it’s remarkable that so many praise his strong leadership skills, his mercy towards enemy prisoners, and even his athletic prowess. The regard for this Shawnee has only grown since his death in 1813, and this biography strives to separate myth from fact, and also makes it clear when the truth about aspects of his life will never be known. An excellent read.
February 7, 2020
Highly detailed research into Tecumseh, including his childhood, adulthood, and evolution to a symbol of the American Indian tribes. I knew little about Tecumseh prior to reading this book and now I have a fantastic overview of his life and the affect it had on the people who followed him. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about this great person, who fought hard for his people and their welfare.
February 21, 2021
Having never heard if this Indian chief before I picked up this book. I found it a fascinating story.
I did get s little bogged down in detail but managed to get through it.
I have watched a movie on Tecumseh's life and that did help put some of what I read in context.
For those interested in American Indian history it is a worthwhile resource.
Many notable characters from American history are involved in this fascinating story.
I did get s little bogged down in detail but managed to get through it.
I have watched a movie on Tecumseh's life and that did help put some of what I read in context.
For those interested in American Indian history it is a worthwhile resource.
Many notable characters from American history are involved in this fascinating story.
June 24, 2022
Amazing work of scholarship on a pivotal figure in the history of North America who has been for a long time not understood in his own right in the context of his times and cultural background. Sugden does a great job guiding the reader through the influences that helped Tecumseh to develop into the leader he became in the midst of the myriad international agendas impacting native peoples east of the Mississippi in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
January 21, 2019
One of the better biographies on Tecumseh I've read (and I've read quite a few). The importance of his brother, "the Prophet" was highlighted - rather than just passing him off as a tool used by the more well-known man. And the extensive research, coupled with a fairly objective portrayal of Tecumseh, the man - rather than Tecumseh, the legend - makes this an engaging, comprehensive history.
August 25, 2019
This is a scholarly tome about Tecumseh and the Ohio Indians life in face of the American invasion of their homeland. Very factual and thoroughly fascinating. Do not plan to read it in one sitting, it requires careful reading due to the complexity of the characters and their numbers.
Thoroughly enjoyable and troubling at the same time. Worth the time spent reading it.
Thoroughly enjoyable and troubling at the same time. Worth the time spent reading it.
November 23, 2021
7/10
This book had some good information and discussion on the life of Tecumseh. However, after the first third, it did start to get dry with most of the writing focusing on military history. I was looking for more of an overview of his life and the history surrounding it and not the small details of battles. Still interesting and useful as a biography of Tecumseh.
This book had some good information and discussion on the life of Tecumseh. However, after the first third, it did start to get dry with most of the writing focusing on military history. I was looking for more of an overview of his life and the history surrounding it and not the small details of battles. Still interesting and useful as a biography of Tecumseh.
October 13, 2024
I have always respected Tecumseh but after reading this more so. Left me thinking less of William Henry Harrison and also the British whom he was helping. Henry Proctor deserted the Indians that were fighting with the British resulting in the death of Tecumseh.
Read
April 3, 2021There is a reason it’s the definitive work on the subject.
October 6, 2023
Fantastic research book
Great book. Tremendous research material for people wanting to understand North American Indian history. Plus USA power and colonialism. Great!
Great book. Tremendous research material for people wanting to understand North American Indian history. Plus USA power and colonialism. Great!
March 16, 2022
Very long and very dense. But definitely an interesting, well written and well researched book on the life of this fascinating man. I learned so much.
May 10, 2022
The book is a military history, a chronology of battles, skirmishes, raids, seems like every one that Tecumseh and his band participated in. For a reader with like interests, the story is thorough and very detailed. I was looking for something else about Tecumseh so I quit reading after 100 pages or so. David Bell (New York Review of Books) commented in March that few historians consider history to be a literary art and use an unimaginative expository style, a comment I felt could be applied to this biography.
December 28, 2010
John Sugden's biography of the great Shawnee chief Tecumseh is an authoritative investigation of his life and legend. Sugden investigates the legend and highlights what he understands to be the facts, based on painful investigation of the known sources relating to Tecumseh. This he successfully does, while providing the reader with an understanding of Tecumseh the man, alongside Tecumseh and his mission.
For me the book also provides an insight into the machinations of early American government, expansion and imperialist ambition. As has usually been the case with native peoples, the Shawnee nation (and other native American nations) was exploited and treated extremely poorly by the young American nation.
I would recommend this book to those living in the United States as a very helpful book for providing an insight into how poorly native Americans were treated in the early years of the independent United States of America, and how the native peoples of that country were exploited and dispossessed of their country in such an unfeeling manner. Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt for today and forgiveness to be sought for yesterday, as there is in my own country's treatment of its indigenous peoples.
For me the book also provides an insight into the machinations of early American government, expansion and imperialist ambition. As has usually been the case with native peoples, the Shawnee nation (and other native American nations) was exploited and treated extremely poorly by the young American nation.
I would recommend this book to those living in the United States as a very helpful book for providing an insight into how poorly native Americans were treated in the early years of the independent United States of America, and how the native peoples of that country were exploited and dispossessed of their country in such an unfeeling manner. Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt for today and forgiveness to be sought for yesterday, as there is in my own country's treatment of its indigenous peoples.
November 21, 2015
I hated this one. It was dry, and heavy, and Sugden would present a bunch of stuff as fact, only to later tell you that it was conjecture. Let's waste our readers' time, shall we?
So that ticked me off. Really, just the whole tone of the thing ticked me off. Who does Sugden think he is? He wasn't at all objective, and seems to think his opinions are law. I always find that distasteful to read, even when I agree with the person, and I didn't agree with him most of the time.
So that ticked me off. Really, just the whole tone of the thing ticked me off. Who does Sugden think he is? He wasn't at all objective, and seems to think his opinions are law. I always find that distasteful to read, even when I agree with the person, and I didn't agree with him most of the time.
June 30, 2013
Interesting subject matter, but Sugden's prose is tedious and makes this one very hard to get through. My interest waned as I worked through it because of this, even though I am very interested in this period and the subject. Maybe it's the difficulty of writing a biography of a figure with a largely undocumented life that is the problem (?). I was thinking about picking up his volumes on Nelson, but I'm not sure if I can make it through if the writing is the same as in this book.
October 6, 2014
Excellent biography and history of the lower Great Lakes / Old Northwest region of the period leading up to the War of 1812 -- one of the most fascinating in North American history, before either Canada or the United States were fully defined and the tribes of the Old Northwest, particularly as they became united under Tecumseh, exerted real political and military power. A great contribution to the literature of native resistance.
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