fbpx

KidsKonnect

Tecumseh Facts & Worksheets

Tecumseh was a great Shawnee Native American Chief who resisted the expansion of the United States onto the Native American Lands.

Search for Worksheets

Worksheets /People /Figures /Tecumseh Facts & Worksheets

Premium
Tecumseh Worksheets
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

Tecumseh was a great Shawnee Native American Chief who resisted the expansion of the United States onto the Native American Lands. Tecumseh attempted to organize an alliance of Indian tribes in opposing the white settlements.

See the fact file below for more information on the Tecumseh or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Tecumseh worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BIOGRAPHY

  • Tecumseh was born in March 1768 in South-Central Ohio, United States, to the Shawnee chief Puckeshinwa and his wife, Methoataske. Tecumseh’s name means ‘shooting star’ or ‘blazing comet’ in Shawnee.
  • After the death of his father during the Battle of Point Pleasant during Lord Dunsmore’s War, his mother migrated to Missouri together with other tribe members, leaving Tecumseh and his siblings behind. They were raised by their older sister named Tecumapease.
  • Tecumapease helped Tecumseh in learning the principles of the Shawnee culture. Cheeseekau, his older brother, taught him how to be a great warrior. During Tecumseh’s teenage years, he witnessed the Americans’ cruelty against several Shawnee people and their land.
  • Tecumseh greatly despised the Americans. However, the Native Americans’ brutal tactics in fighting the white man also horrified Tecumseh.
  • In the late 1780s, Tecumseh joined a series of raids on settlers, accompanied by his brother Cheeseekau and a small force of Shawnee warriors.
  • After the death of his brother, Cheeseekau, Tecumseh became the leader of the Shawnee band and returned to Ohio to help Chief Bluejacket fight the U.S. Army.

THE TREATY OF GREENVILLE

  • In 1791, under the authority of Bluejacket, Tecumseh led a scouting party to defeat General Arthur St. Clair’s army at the Battle of Wabash. After, Tecumseh fought at the Battle of Fallen Timbers on the Maumee River, where General Anthony Wayne and his army won against the Indians.
  • This event led to the signing of the Treaty of Greenville, which forced the Native Americans to forfeit their land in the Northwest Territory. However, Tecumseh refused to sign the treaty because he felt that the Native Americans did not own the land they had given up.
  • Tecumseh believed that the land was shared by all Native Americans and should not be negotiated away. Native Americans abided by the Treaty of Greenville. However, the white settlers and their leaders did not.

PROPHETSTOWN

  • In the early 1800s, Tecumseh decided to settle in Ohio and became a respected leader, war chief, orator. In 1805, his younger brother Lalawethika had experienced an alcohol-induced vision and declared his intent in leading the Native Americans on a quest to reclaim their lands and culture.
  • With this, his brother changed his name to Tenskwatawa and became known as ‘the Prophet.’
  • In 1806, Tenskwatawa correctly predicted a solar eclipse, and several Indians from different tribes began following Tenskwatawa, the prophet. Two years after, Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa developed their growing multi-tribal alliance to Prophetstown, near the Tippecanoe and Wabash rivers.

THE BATTLE OF TIPPECANOE

  • Tecumseh traveled far to recruit several aggrieved Native Americans to his pan-Native American alliance. In several powerful speeches, Tecumseh rallied them to his cause by saying that the only way to overcome the invaders was to unite and resist the American way of life.
  • While Tecumseh was recruiting several Native Americans in 1811, Indiana Territory’s Governor and future U.S. President William Henry Harrison led his forces in Prophetstown with the purpose of destroying the village.
  • Tecumseh warned his brother not to fight until their alliance was stronger. However, Tenskwatawa ignored his advice and attacked Harrison’s army despite a doubtful ceasefire reached.
  • After intense fighting at the Battle of Tippecanoe, Harrison’s army won against the Native Americans, who later left Prophetstown, leaving it open for Harrison to burn and raid.
  • Tecumseh returned to Prophetstown a few months later and found the village and his hard-won alliance were destroyed.

DEATH AND LEGACY

  • With his remaining followers, Tecumseh joined the British forces in Michigan during the War of 1812. They played a crucial role in defeating American forces at the Siege of Detroit.
  • During Detroit’s fall, Tecumseh joined British Major-General Henry Proctor’s invasion of Ohio and fought against Harrison and his forces. After Harrison and his army invaded Canada, the British were forced to leave, which made Tecumseh and his followers follow suit.
  • Harrison followed them to the Thames River, where Tecumseh was killed on October 5, 1813.
  • Tecumseh was a powerful chief, esteemed leader, and gifted orator. Tecumseh’s death destroyed his pan-Native American alliance in the Northwest Territory. Without their leader, most of the remaining Native Americans in the region moved to reservations and ceded their land.
  • Although Tecumseh never lost sight of his goal in uniting the different tribes, his influence was not enough to win against the American military and save the Native American way of life.
  • The Commander of the British Forces at Amherstburg, General Isaac Brock, stated that no other gallant warrior would exist except Tecumseh.
  • During his life, Tecumseh’s political leadership and dedication gained the respect of friends and foes. Simultaneously, a mythology was created around him that has transformed him into an American folk hero.

Tecumseh Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Tecumseh across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Tecumseh worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Tecumseh who was a great Shawnee Native American Chief who resisted the expansion of the United States onto the Native American Lands. Tecumseh attempted to organize an alliance of Indian tribes in opposing the white settlements.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Tecumseh Facts
  • Tecumseh: Profile Writing
  • The Warrior Brothers
  • Timeline of the Chief
  • Filling the Alliance
  • Jumbled Tribe
  • The Battle Tippecanoe
  • The Shawnee Chief
  • The Fact or Bluff!
  • The Last Warrior
  • The Wise Words of the Chief

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Tecumseh Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, May 5, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

Related Resources