Captain’s List — Tecumseh #1811

Corsair’s Profiles in Leadership Series

The captains of fiction and history have much to teach us. They are leaders who often serve in times of great challenge and turmoil. Articles in this series focus on an individual captain and utilizes their quotes, their writings, and their actions to inspire core leadership elements in all of us.

Taking Liberty

Tecumseh was a member of the Shawnee tribe, born in 1768. His name means “Panther Across The Sky” which is widely translated to “Shooting Star”. The former seems more appropriate for a man whose history ran so deep and ever-present.

Tecumseh was the leader of an Indian Confederacy established to protect the liberty and land of the tribes along the northern Mississippi. He is rarely associated with a true title, even chief. It seems apropos to ‘take the liberty’ of declaring him a Captain. He surely would have appreciated it.

Coalition Builder

The last decade of the 18th century and first of the 19th marked a quarter century of North American history defined by one man. No Native American leader ever held the breadth of support and power as Tecumseh. He traveled up and down the Mississippi valley building a coalition of tribes to confront US expansion into Ohio.

The Tecumseh Confederacy grew in strength through the end of the 18th century and would position Tecumseh as the ‘Defender of Canada’ once the War of 1812 began. It was a confederacy built from the leadership of one man, with a little help from his brother. It was unrivaled in its size and effectiveness. Its very emergence was considered so unlikely by leadership in Washington that they were fully embarrassed in their military campaign to capture the Great Lakes region.

Tecumseh’s leadership, dedication, and travel are all models for modern coalition builders. Global times and global organizations require similar feats. More than 200 years later, Tecumseh would have been undaunted. He did his traveling on foot and canoe.

Opportunity Knocks or Divine Intervention

Tecumseh was a man of unusual times. This was partially of his own making but he was also adept at seizing on any available opportunity. In his earliest years, Tecumseh was more of a regional leader in the area claimed as the Ohio Territory. He would seize of four major events to elevate his status and his confederacy to the power it became.

The Prophet — was Tecumseh’s brother. Nothing helps build a coalition like a common faith/religion and a charismatic orator. Make no mistake, Tecumseh’s brother was no strategist or even tactician, but his popularity rose first. Tecumseh exploited that opportunity to begin organizing his people.

Another Shooting Star — arrived in 1811. It was fortuitous timing for the Panther Across The Sky. His confederacy was still weak at this stage. The southern tribes, who were not directly threatened by expansion, were reticent to join the active fighting in Ohio. The arrival of a comet in 1811, that blazed across the sky for nearly 9 months presented Tecumseh with a ‘sign’.

Shaking things up — even further. The New Madrid Earthquake/s arrived that year as well. If the ever present comet wasn’t enough to get the southern tribe’s attention — the shaking ground underneath their feet surely was… now if only he had a greater conflict and a European ally to work with…

The War of 1812 — was a war inspired by foreign trade and naval policies that saw US sailors impressed upon British war ships. It was a second war of independence — economic and naval independence. The strategy was simple — seize Canada, no one is really guarding it anyway. Tecumseh changed everything!

There is much more to Tecumseh’s story:

The Shawnee Captain was an incredible leader. He was an incredible coalition builder who exploited his global landscape in an effort to secure liberty for his people. While his death in 1813 ended his confederacy and propelled his antagonist to the presidency (Harrison) — his history is one that still resonates two centuries later. His story is still one that is a model of leadership.

While Harrison would claim credit for Tecumseh’s death, going so far as to fold it into his campaign song — Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too. His presidency was a true shooting star — lasting only 32 days. On the day of Harrison’s death, a young man from Lancaster, Ohio was wrapping up his time at the United States Military Academy. He too would make his mark on American history — displaying bold leadership through the southern states to end a confederacy. His name was Tecumseh.