| area as a lazy and thoughtless Indian who had fallen to the wickedness of liquor, discovered that he had a special gift, that he could predict the future. From that day on he would be known as Tenskwautawa, "The Prophet". Various accounts differ on this revelation and his turning to spiritualism. The Indians of the early 1800’s believed that the Prophet had actually had a ‘conversion’ and believed whole-heartedly in him. The Americans initially believed him to be a hoax, but as the years went by, some came to believe that he was a prophet. Some Americans believed that he had acquired his ‘religion’ from the Shakers. No matter what, at that time people believed that the Prophet was the true leader of the confederation and that he was attracting the various Indians to join him. However, the modern belief is that Tecumthe knew that he could not be both a warrior and a spiritual leader and instead turned to his brother to help him fulfill his dream. It was Tecumthe who had visions and then passed them to his brother to ‘announce’ to the world. In either scenario, the two of them began uniting various tribes and individual Indians under one banner at The Prophet’s Town, a small town located along the Wabash River outside of any land granted to the Americans in any previous treaty. Many Englishmen looked favorably upon the idea of an Indian confederation that would form a buffer zone between the English western holdings and the Americans. This zone could have become a separate country under the protection of the British. Having an Indian buffer zone that would limit the American westward movement would serve the British well. The British would then be free to continue their westward Expansionism through the Great Lakes and then down the Mississippi, thus encircling the Americans. It would also limit the potential growth of what was emerging as a major competing nation. |
