Tippecanoe, Tecumseh, and The Prophet — The Struggle for the Northwest

Tippecanoe, Tecumseh, and The Prophet — The Struggle for the Northwest

Tippecanoe, Tecumseh, and The Prophet — The Struggle for the Northwest
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 9 to 12
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	7.78

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		fur-bearing, furor, junction, assured, frenzy, striking, anxiety, cede, coalition, spiritual, possibility, verge, misery, liquor, lucrative, holy
	content words:		Northwest Territory, Appalachian Mountains, Great Lakes, Ohio River, Mississippi River, Northwest Ordinance, William Henry Harrison, Republican Indian Policy, Native Americans, Indiana Territory

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Tippecanoe, Tecumseh, and The Prophet — The Struggle for the Northwest
By Toni Lee Robinson

¹     "Give me land, lots of land!" That was the cry from several different groups of people as the 19th century began in America. The land many had their eye on was the Northwest Territory. This popular piece of real estate nestled west of the original states, just over the Appalachian Mountains. It was bounded on the north by the Great Lakes. Its southern border was the Ohio River, and the Mississippi River formed its western edge. On our modern maps, we would see the area as the American states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and the eastern part of Minnesota.

²     U.S. settlers wanted the land for farms and towns. British, French, and American trappers wanted its fur-bearing animals. Merchants of all stripes saw the territory as a prime place to establish trading posts, cashing in on lucrative trade with settlers and the native tribes of the area. Native peoples themselves wanted the land because it was their home, their hunting ground, their very lives. However, the natives soon realized that they were losing the battle. Some tribes had already signed agreements giving their territories to the U.S. In 1787, Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, establishing a structure and a few rules for settlement of the area. American settlers poured in. In 1801, William Henry Harrison was appointed governor of the territory.

³     All the tribes were under great pressure to cede their lands. President Jefferson's Republican Indian Policy had set the course for dealing with native peoples. Basically, the policy held up farmers as the "salt of the earth," and declared that nothing should hinder them from moving into the rich new territory. The policy magnanimously provided a choice for Native Americans who were displaced by settlers. The first citizens could choose to fit in to the white communities or move farther west.

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