Presidents at War: William Henry Harrison and the Battle of Tippecanoe
William Henry Harrison was nicknamed "Old Tippecanoe" because of his service at the Battle of Tippecanoe. He parlayed it into a successful presidential campaign in 1840 when voters were told that they could vote for "Old Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!" The significance of the battle was exaggerated in the campaign, and it was probably not Harrison's greatest military accomplishment, but it was the one which he was most remembered for when the voters cast their ballot in 1840.
In the early 1800s, an Indian resistance movement against U.S. expansion had been growing through the leadership of two brothers who were members of the Shawnee nation, Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa (known as "The Prophet"). The conflict grew to what became known as Tecumseh's War. The Prophet convinced the native tribes that they would be protected by the Great Spirit and no harm could befall them if they would rise up against the white settlers. He told the tribes to pay white traders only half of what they owed. He also told them to rebel against what he called "the white man's ways", which included their clothing, muskets, and especially whiskey.
In August 1810, Tecumseh led 400 armed warriors down the Wabash River to meet with William Henry Harrison in Vincennes, Indiana. Harrison was then the Governor of the Indiana Territory. The warriors were dressed in war paint, their sudden appearance frightened the soldiers at first. The leaders of the group met Harrison. At the meeting, Tecumseh insisted that the treaty which had previously been made between the Americans and the First Nations was illegitimate. He told Harrison that no one tribe could sell land without the approval of the other tribes and he asked Harrison to nullify the treaty. He warned the Governor that Americans should not attempt to settle the lands sold in the treaty. Tecumseh told Harrison that any chiefs who carried out the terms of the treaty would be killed, and that his confederation of tribes was growing rapidly. Harrison rejected Tecumseh's arguments. He said that the Miami nation was the owner of the land and could sell it if it so chose. He rejected Tecumseh's claim that all the Indians formed one nation. He said each tribe could have separate agreements with the United States if they chose to. Harrison told Tecumseh that "the Great Spirit would have made all the tribes speak one language if they were to be one nation."
The meeting became very tense and some believe that Tecumseh was encouraging the warriors to kill Harrison. Many of the warriors began to pull their weapons. In response, Harrison pulled his sword. Tecumseh's warriors backed down after the officers had pulled their firearms in defense of Harrison. Chief Winnemac, who was friendly to Harrison, told the warriors that since they had come in peace, they should return home in peace. Before leaving, Tecumseh told Harrison that unless the treaty was nullified, he would seek an alliance with the British. After the meeting, Tecumseh traveled to meet with many of the tribes in the region, hoping to build a confederation to battle the United States.
In 1811, Harrison was authorized by Secretary of War William Eustis to march against the confederation as a show of force. Harrison led an army of more than 1,000 men north to try to intimidate the Shawnee into making peace. Instead, the tribes launched a surprise attack on Harrison's army early on the morning of November 6, in what became known as the Battle of Tippecanoe. In the battle, Harrison defeated his opponents at Prophetstown, next to the Wabash and Tippecanoe Rivers. Harrison was hailed as a national hero and the battle became famous. However, his troops had greatly outnumbered the attackers, and they actually suffered many more casualties during the battle. About 62 Americans died, compared to about 50 of their attackers.
Harrison reported to Secretary Eustis that he feared an imminent reprisal attack. The first dispatch did not make clear which side had won the conflict, and the secretary at first interpreted it as a defeat. The follow-up dispatch made the US victory clear. When no second attack came, Eustis wanted to know why Harrison had not taken adequate precautions in fortifying his camp against attacks. Harrison said that he had considered the position strong enough. The mistrust between Harrison and the Department of War that continued into the War of 1812.
The press did not cover the battle at first, but by December, most major American papers carried stories of the battle, leading to public outrage against the Shawnee. At a time of high tensions with the United Kingdom, many Americans blamed the British for inciting the tribes to violence and supplying them with firearms. In response, Congress passed resolutions condemning the British for interfering in American domestic affairs. A few months later, the U.S. declared war against the British. During the War, Harrison was the commander at the Battle of the Thames in 1813, where Tecumseh was killed (allegedly by Richard Mentor Johnson, who would later become Martin Van Buren's Vice-President.) After that, Harrison had a disagreement with Secretary of War John Armstrong. Harrison was reassigned to an inconsequential posting and replaced by one of his subordinates. He tendered his resignation, which Armstrong accepted. Following the war, an investigation determined that Harrison had been mistreated by the incompetent Secretary of War, and Harrison was awarded a medal for his service during the war.
Over three decades later, when Harrison ran for President, Democrats tried to ridicule him by calling him "Granny Harrison, the petticoat general," because he resigned from the army before the War of 1812 ended. But this strategy backfired when Harrison and his vice presidential running-mate, John Tyler, campaigned on the slogan of "Tippecanoe and Tyler too!" The Whigs boasted of Harrison's military record and reputation as the hero of the Battle of Tippecanoe. Their campaign slogan became one of the most famous in American politics. On election day, Harrison won a landslide electoral college victory, defeating incumbent Martin Van Buren 234 to 60 in the electoral college.
In the early 1800s, an Indian resistance movement against U.S. expansion had been growing through the leadership of two brothers who were members of the Shawnee nation, Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa (known as "The Prophet"). The conflict grew to what became known as Tecumseh's War. The Prophet convinced the native tribes that they would be protected by the Great Spirit and no harm could befall them if they would rise up against the white settlers. He told the tribes to pay white traders only half of what they owed. He also told them to rebel against what he called "the white man's ways", which included their clothing, muskets, and especially whiskey.
In August 1810, Tecumseh led 400 armed warriors down the Wabash River to meet with William Henry Harrison in Vincennes, Indiana. Harrison was then the Governor of the Indiana Territory. The warriors were dressed in war paint, their sudden appearance frightened the soldiers at first. The leaders of the group met Harrison. At the meeting, Tecumseh insisted that the treaty which had previously been made between the Americans and the First Nations was illegitimate. He told Harrison that no one tribe could sell land without the approval of the other tribes and he asked Harrison to nullify the treaty. He warned the Governor that Americans should not attempt to settle the lands sold in the treaty. Tecumseh told Harrison that any chiefs who carried out the terms of the treaty would be killed, and that his confederation of tribes was growing rapidly. Harrison rejected Tecumseh's arguments. He said that the Miami nation was the owner of the land and could sell it if it so chose. He rejected Tecumseh's claim that all the Indians formed one nation. He said each tribe could have separate agreements with the United States if they chose to. Harrison told Tecumseh that "the Great Spirit would have made all the tribes speak one language if they were to be one nation."
The meeting became very tense and some believe that Tecumseh was encouraging the warriors to kill Harrison. Many of the warriors began to pull their weapons. In response, Harrison pulled his sword. Tecumseh's warriors backed down after the officers had pulled their firearms in defense of Harrison. Chief Winnemac, who was friendly to Harrison, told the warriors that since they had come in peace, they should return home in peace. Before leaving, Tecumseh told Harrison that unless the treaty was nullified, he would seek an alliance with the British. After the meeting, Tecumseh traveled to meet with many of the tribes in the region, hoping to build a confederation to battle the United States.
In 1811, Harrison was authorized by Secretary of War William Eustis to march against the confederation as a show of force. Harrison led an army of more than 1,000 men north to try to intimidate the Shawnee into making peace. Instead, the tribes launched a surprise attack on Harrison's army early on the morning of November 6, in what became known as the Battle of Tippecanoe. In the battle, Harrison defeated his opponents at Prophetstown, next to the Wabash and Tippecanoe Rivers. Harrison was hailed as a national hero and the battle became famous. However, his troops had greatly outnumbered the attackers, and they actually suffered many more casualties during the battle. About 62 Americans died, compared to about 50 of their attackers.
Harrison reported to Secretary Eustis that he feared an imminent reprisal attack. The first dispatch did not make clear which side had won the conflict, and the secretary at first interpreted it as a defeat. The follow-up dispatch made the US victory clear. When no second attack came, Eustis wanted to know why Harrison had not taken adequate precautions in fortifying his camp against attacks. Harrison said that he had considered the position strong enough. The mistrust between Harrison and the Department of War that continued into the War of 1812.
The press did not cover the battle at first, but by December, most major American papers carried stories of the battle, leading to public outrage against the Shawnee. At a time of high tensions with the United Kingdom, many Americans blamed the British for inciting the tribes to violence and supplying them with firearms. In response, Congress passed resolutions condemning the British for interfering in American domestic affairs. A few months later, the U.S. declared war against the British. During the War, Harrison was the commander at the Battle of the Thames in 1813, where Tecumseh was killed (allegedly by Richard Mentor Johnson, who would later become Martin Van Buren's Vice-President.) After that, Harrison had a disagreement with Secretary of War John Armstrong. Harrison was reassigned to an inconsequential posting and replaced by one of his subordinates. He tendered his resignation, which Armstrong accepted. Following the war, an investigation determined that Harrison had been mistreated by the incompetent Secretary of War, and Harrison was awarded a medal for his service during the war.
Over three decades later, when Harrison ran for President, Democrats tried to ridicule him by calling him "Granny Harrison, the petticoat general," because he resigned from the army before the War of 1812 ended. But this strategy backfired when Harrison and his vice presidential running-mate, John Tyler, campaigned on the slogan of "Tippecanoe and Tyler too!" The Whigs boasted of Harrison's military record and reputation as the hero of the Battle of Tippecanoe. Their campaign slogan became one of the most famous in American politics. On election day, Harrison won a landslide electoral college victory, defeating incumbent Martin Van Buren 234 to 60 in the electoral college.