Lesson 5 - Indiana after the American Revolution

In the years after the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), the United States sought to expand its territory westward and place a firm hold on the land west of the Appalachian Mountains. The Treaty of Paris (1783), which officially ended the Revolutionary War, significantly expanded the boundaries of the United States. The native population did not participate in the treaty negotiations, and their interests were not necessarily taken into consideration, despite the new territory of the United States being on their traditional homelands. For the first time, people in the United States were able to move west of the Appalachians. While settlers were still living in colonies under the British crown, they were prevented from settling this territory. In 1787, Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, creating the Northwest Territory. This land included what is now Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. This land was home to many native groups, which now faced new threats from Americans moving westward.

The United States was a young country that had just fought a major war. The country was in debt, not least of all to the soldiers and officers who fought the battles and won the war. The government paid these men in land. George Rogers Clark led the militia of Virginia in a campaign to capture land in Indiana and Illinois. For his service, Virginia granted Clark a large tract of land in what is now Clark County, Indiana. Clark himself settled there and distributed the rest of the land to the men who fought with him. George Rogers Clark was a skilled soldier and leader, but he struggled after the war with finances and alcoholism. He continued to sink further in debt, and his creditors began to come after his land. Clark’s health declined and he eventually suffered a stroke. During the stroke he fell into the fireplace and burned his leg so badly it had to be amputated. He then moved in with his sister in Kentucky, where he lived the rest of his life, dying after a second stroke in 1818.

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson orchestrated the Louisiana Purchase, which brought the United States more than 800,000 square miles of land from a territory claimed by the French and known as Louisiana Territory. This area stretched north from present-day Louisiana to Canada, and west from what is now Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas to what is now New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. Similar to the Treaty of Paris, the Louisiana Purchase did not take into consideration native interests and did not consider that it was neither France’s land to sell nor the United States’ land to buy. Nevertheless, President Jefferson went through with the transaction.

George Rogers Clark’s brother was William Clark of the famed Lewis and Clark expedition. The Lewis and Clark expedition was initiated by Jefferson in order to explore the western territory of North America. The United States had recently acquired the Louisiana Purchase and Jefferson was eager to find out what he had bought. The Corps of Discovery, as Lewis and Clark’s group was called, set off from George Rogers Clark’s cabin site in what is now Falls of the Ohio State Park

Feeling increased pressure from European settlers, the Shawnee leader Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa (The Prophet) moved their warriors and followers from Ohio to the confluence of the Wabash and Tippecanoe rivers. There, in 1808, they founded Prophetstown. Tecumseh hoped that by creating a confederacy of several tribes, he could halt the advance of the settlers. He also hoped to build on memories of the confederacy that resisted the Americans in the late 18th century. Tenskwatawa was primary in this effort for many years by preaching Indian renewal and cultural purity. He discouraged the use of alcohol and adopting the settlers’ ways. Interestingly, people often view Tecumseh as the primary leader, but in fact Tecumseh rose to prominence much later after Tenskwatawa, his brother, had been rallying support for some time.

Tecumseh’s travels took him to New York, Canada, Arkansas, Minnesota and perhaps as far south as Florida. He visited tribes and persuaded them to abandon their tribal animosities to fight the larger enemy. He encouraged tribes to come to Prophetstown, to stand their ground and resist. Others, such as Little Turtle, were resisting through active means that were non-violent as well as through forms of passive peaceful resistance. Tecumseh hoped that their large numbers would be enough to dissuade the advance of settlement. By 1808, warriors from other tribes were congregating at Prophetstown.

William Henry Harrison, then governor of the Indiana Territory, was aware of the increased Native American presence at Prophetstown. Historians tell us that tribes who had members present at Prophetstown were the Potawatomi, Shawnee, Kickapoo, Delaware, Winnebago, Wea, Wyandotte, Ottawa, Chippewa, Menominee, Fox, Sauk, Creek and Miami.
Harrison had a healthy respect for Tecumseh as a statesman and described him as, “the Moses of the family . . . a bold, active sensible man daring in the extreme and capable of any undertaking.” Concerned by Tecumseh’s growing confederation, in November 1811 (while Tecumseh was away), Harrison moved troops to within a half-mile of Prophetstown.

The Prophet, fearing an attack, initiated a surprise attack on Harrison’s encampment. In the early morning darkness of Nov. 11, warriors surrounded Harrison’s men. An alert sentry sounded the alarm and the battle began. Heavy losses occurred on both sides, but in the end, possibly from running out of ammunition, the warriors pulled back and escaped to Prophetstown. The residents of Prophetstown fled. Later, Harrison’s troops burned Prophetstown. One of the largest Native American confederations ever to come together in the North American continent was wounded, but in fact Tecumseh continued rallying support until his death at the Battle of the Thames in 1813.