Howard Chandler Christy's Signing of the Treaty of Green Ville was created in 1945. The state of Ohio commissioned Christy (1873-1952), a nationally-known illustrator, to create the work for the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Greenville, which ended the Indian Wars in Ohio. The final version hangs in the Ohio Statehouse. This painting was a working copy that Christy would have painted in preparation for his final work.
Tecumseh never wanted to sell the land the Indians lived upon... he believed that land belonged to all tribes...........not just the Shawnees.
During the early 1800s, Tecumseh, a leader of the Shawnee Indians, attempted to unite Native American tribes west of the Appalachian Mountains into a confederation. Tecumseh believed that the land did not belong to a single tribe. In reality, no one owned the land except for the Master of Life, the Shawnees’ principal god. Tecumseh believed that the only way that Native Americans could transfer land to the Americans was if every tribe agreed to it. Tecumseh wanted to force the Americans to deal with all of the tribes in unison. Separately, the individual tribes did not have much power. Together, Tecumseh hoped, they would be a major deterrent to white expansion.
Tecumseh explained his views in a letter to William Henry Harrison in 1810:
. . .the only way to stop this evil [white settlement of the Indians’ land], is for all the red men to unite in claiming a common and equal right in the land as it was at first, and should be now—for it never was divided, but belongs to all. . . .Sell a country! Why not sell the air, the clouds and the great sea, as well as the earth? Did not the Great Spirit [Master of Life] make them all for the use of his children?
In his quest, Tecumseh received assistance from his younger brother Tenskwatawa. Known as the Prophet, Tenskwatawa believed that the natives had to end their reliance on American goods, such as alcohol, iron cookware, and guns. The Indians had angered the Master of Life by becoming dependent on these items. If the natives forsook them, the Master of Life would reward his followers by driving the Americans from their land. Many Indians found the Prophet’s message appealing and began to congregate at his village, Prophetstown, in the Indiana Territory.
Tecumseh used his brother’s influence to convince the natives to put aside their traditional differences and unite together against the whites. He also visited many tribes west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River seeking additional support for his confederation.
Tecumseh was a firm believer that more people translated into more power. While most tribes listened to Tecumseh’s proposal, many rejected his ideas. This was especially true of Indians in modern-day Tennessee, Georgia, and Mississippi. Many of these people embraced white products and customs. They did not want to lose access to these goods. Tecumseh had more success in Ohio, Kentucky, and the Indiana Territory, areas that whites had been attempting to settle since before the French and Indian War.
Unfortunately for the natives, Tecumseh’s Confederacy failed. Many Indians refused to relinquish their white ways and end their friendships with the Americans. The whites also greatly outnumbered the Native Americans and had greater access to firearms and ammunition. As Tecumseh’s followers began to converge he also could not provide them with adequate food and shelter.Ultimately, he was killed in war......... but his words live on:
So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours.
Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people and grovel to none.
When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.
Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.
When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.
Tecumseh
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