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Gallop Toward the Sun: Tecumseh and Harrison's Struggle for the Destiny of a Nation
A vivid account of the rivalry between William Henry Harrison and Tecumseh, and the Native American alliance that, in the early 19th century, struggled to prevent the United States from expanding westward and taking over the continent from the New York Times bestselling author of Astoria.
The conquest of the American West through violence and corrupt treaties in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries transformed the global balance of power. It was an upheaval on a grand scale, but acclaimed author Peter Stark shows us its fundamental conflicts through the clash between two men—Shawnee chief and warrior Tecumseh and Indiana governor William Henry Harrison.
Harrison, the son of a prominent member of Virginia's founding generation, set out into the western territories with an eye fixed on Indiana statehood. He passed legislation that encouraged individual farmers to move west and compelled Native leaders to enter treaties, often signing away their land. Tecumseh was a warrior and accomplished speaker who for the first time in North American history, inspired Indigenous nations to join a confederacy based on their shared identity as Native Americans in opposition to a common enemy. Eager to stop U.S. expansion, the British backed Tecumseh’s confederacy against the U.S. on the now-forgotten western front of the War of 1812. Leading two powerful forces, Harrison and Tecumseh faced each other in tense diplomatic meetings over Harrison's illegal claims to land and in battles that would determine the future of the North American continent.
Tecumseh, by all accounts, is one of the 19th century's greatest leaders, and his stand against the United States was the last real opportunity to prevent the upstart nation from expanding across the continent and becoming a world power. In this fast-paced narrative, Peter Stark brings this story—with its bloody battles, high-stakes diplomacy, and sharply drawn characters—to life.
The conquest of the American West through violence and corrupt treaties in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries transformed the global balance of power. It was an upheaval on a grand scale, but acclaimed author Peter Stark shows us its fundamental conflicts through the clash between two men—Shawnee chief and warrior Tecumseh and Indiana governor William Henry Harrison.
Harrison, the son of a prominent member of Virginia's founding generation, set out into the western territories with an eye fixed on Indiana statehood. He passed legislation that encouraged individual farmers to move west and compelled Native leaders to enter treaties, often signing away their land. Tecumseh was a warrior and accomplished speaker who for the first time in North American history, inspired Indigenous nations to join a confederacy based on their shared identity as Native Americans in opposition to a common enemy. Eager to stop U.S. expansion, the British backed Tecumseh’s confederacy against the U.S. on the now-forgotten western front of the War of 1812. Leading two powerful forces, Harrison and Tecumseh faced each other in tense diplomatic meetings over Harrison's illegal claims to land and in battles that would determine the future of the North American continent.
Tecumseh, by all accounts, is one of the 19th century's greatest leaders, and his stand against the United States was the last real opportunity to prevent the upstart nation from expanding across the continent and becoming a world power. In this fast-paced narrative, Peter Stark brings this story—with its bloody battles, high-stakes diplomacy, and sharply drawn characters—to life.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2023
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October 12, 2023
This book is a dual biography of William Henry Harrison and Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, a description of the battles they fought on opposite sides, and a more general look at the westward expansion of the US. It examines the agreements with the indigenous tribes that were made and broken numerous times. Harrison was involved in several of these agreements. Harrison had initially shown compassion toward the native peoples, but this attitude did not last. It covers the Battle of Tippecanoe (where Harrison got his nickname, “Old Tippecanoe”) and the War of 1812.
Harrison served as a delegate to Congress from the Northwest Territory. He later became governor of Indiana Territory, where he was one of the primary negotiators. Tecumseh traveled the western territories to attempt to get the tribes to cooperate for their mutual benefit rather than have their interests pitted against each other. Tecumseh’s Shawnee and several other tribes banded together to fight on the side of the British, hoping to regain access to the lands of their ancestors.
This book provides a perspective on the complicated relationship between these two men. We get a good idea of their personalities and motivations. I particularly enjoyed the description of the meeting between the two on the grounds of the Harrison estate, which provides a stark contrast between cultures. I found it a well-written and fascinating account. Recommended to those interested in frontier history or anyone who wants to learn more about William Henry Harrison beyond his one-month as President.
“Willam Henry Harrison laid the groundwork for decades of wars with native peoples and removal as the dynamic young governor of the Indiana Territory. Where Thomas Jefferson had taken an inchoate Federalist policy of “civilizing” tribes, and made it into a governing ideology, civilize or move on or be exterminated, Harrison had made that policy real.”
Harrison served as a delegate to Congress from the Northwest Territory. He later became governor of Indiana Territory, where he was one of the primary negotiators. Tecumseh traveled the western territories to attempt to get the tribes to cooperate for their mutual benefit rather than have their interests pitted against each other. Tecumseh’s Shawnee and several other tribes banded together to fight on the side of the British, hoping to regain access to the lands of their ancestors.
This book provides a perspective on the complicated relationship between these two men. We get a good idea of their personalities and motivations. I particularly enjoyed the description of the meeting between the two on the grounds of the Harrison estate, which provides a stark contrast between cultures. I found it a well-written and fascinating account. Recommended to those interested in frontier history or anyone who wants to learn more about William Henry Harrison beyond his one-month as President.
“Willam Henry Harrison laid the groundwork for decades of wars with native peoples and removal as the dynamic young governor of the Indiana Territory. Where Thomas Jefferson had taken an inchoate Federalist policy of “civilizing” tribes, and made it into a governing ideology, civilize or move on or be exterminated, Harrison had made that policy real.”
July 15, 2023
I've always wanted to punch Thomas Jefferson. After reading Peter Stark's Gallop Toward the Sun, I want to punch William Henry Harrison, too.
Stark's book looks the the lives of American Indian leader Tecumseh and the jerk William Henry Harrison. Stark puts a bright spotlight on how Harrison was a major tool (and I mean that in two different ways) in stealing Native lands out from under them with shady deals, debt, and graft. Harrison is often remembered as the shortest serving president since he died one month after taking office. We ducked a bullet on that one, America.
While Stark is one of my favorite authors, there are some missteps in the narrative. Part I sets up the conflict between Harrison and Tecumseh leading to war. I found myself wanting to skip ahead because much of the set up doesn't directly include Harrison or Tecumseh in places. I still liked much of what Stark was writing, but the book is really about these two larger than life figures and when they disappear from the book it can be frustrating. Part II, which deals with the War of 1812 runs into the same problems. The Battle of Lake Erie is the standout and it is extremely compelling. However, Harrison and Tecumseh are once again on the sidelines for this.
This may sound like the book is unfulfilling but it is in fact still quite good. The narrative issues I mention do not ruin the book but merely take it from "great" down to "very good." Stark is too excellent a writer to ever have a bad book. This one just needed a better focus to be truly great.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Random House.)
Stark's book looks the the lives of American Indian leader Tecumseh and the jerk William Henry Harrison. Stark puts a bright spotlight on how Harrison was a major tool (and I mean that in two different ways) in stealing Native lands out from under them with shady deals, debt, and graft. Harrison is often remembered as the shortest serving president since he died one month after taking office. We ducked a bullet on that one, America.
While Stark is one of my favorite authors, there are some missteps in the narrative. Part I sets up the conflict between Harrison and Tecumseh leading to war. I found myself wanting to skip ahead because much of the set up doesn't directly include Harrison or Tecumseh in places. I still liked much of what Stark was writing, but the book is really about these two larger than life figures and when they disappear from the book it can be frustrating. Part II, which deals with the War of 1812 runs into the same problems. The Battle of Lake Erie is the standout and it is extremely compelling. However, Harrison and Tecumseh are once again on the sidelines for this.
This may sound like the book is unfulfilling but it is in fact still quite good. The narrative issues I mention do not ruin the book but merely take it from "great" down to "very good." Stark is too excellent a writer to ever have a bad book. This one just needed a better focus to be truly great.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Random House.)
July 24, 2024
Peter Stack gives us a profile of two major American leaders. One is the great Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, a charismatic, eloquent, stalwart defender of Native American rights. The other is William Henry Harrison, a son of a Founding Father who served as an Army general and Governor of the Indiana Territory in the first decade of the 19th Century.
Harrison was a stalwart, too, advocating for expanding the population of white Americans into the Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan territories--the better to advance his political career, fulfilling a personal dream of getting a political power base to attain power as a national politician in Washington, DC.
Harrison's goal was to keep the various Indian tribes divided, the better to bribe and threaten the chiefs of the Miami, Delaware, Saux, Fox, and other indigenous groups. He would cajole and threaten the natives to sell off vast tracts of tribal lands, sometimes lands they had no domain over. Then the government would turn around and sell 300-acre tracts to land-hungry poor Easterners looking for economic independence. In this way, the plantation-style of society in places like Virginia could be replicated, in part, in the new states. (Although slavery was outlawed in the Northwest Territory, William Henry Harrison looked to "look the other way" about that point at least at first. )
It was Thomas Jefferson's policy of offering the chiefs the choice of either adopting an agricultural lifestyle for each tribe (and foregoing their tribal hunting lands to the whites) or being expelled into the further reaches of the Trans-Mississippi areas and losing it all. It was a no-win situation for indigenous peoples and Tecumseh was always fighting an uphill battle to stop it. His best hope was (1) to unite ALL the Native tribes which he endeavored to do with tireless energy and (2) to get the other major power, the British, to furnish weapons and troops from Europe to hem in the Americans.
Such a situation came to pass with the War of 1812. The book does a good job of setting up the various motives and goals of all sides in the war. No matter which side you think bested the other in the American-British war, the true loser was the native forces trying to get a fair and square deal from either side.
Peter Stack is an entertaining and thorough historian. His book ASTORIA (about the earliest American settlement on the Pacific Coast) is also one to look up if you like this one, as I did.
Harrison was a stalwart, too, advocating for expanding the population of white Americans into the Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan territories--the better to advance his political career, fulfilling a personal dream of getting a political power base to attain power as a national politician in Washington, DC.
Harrison's goal was to keep the various Indian tribes divided, the better to bribe and threaten the chiefs of the Miami, Delaware, Saux, Fox, and other indigenous groups. He would cajole and threaten the natives to sell off vast tracts of tribal lands, sometimes lands they had no domain over. Then the government would turn around and sell 300-acre tracts to land-hungry poor Easterners looking for economic independence. In this way, the plantation-style of society in places like Virginia could be replicated, in part, in the new states. (Although slavery was outlawed in the Northwest Territory, William Henry Harrison looked to "look the other way" about that point at least at first. )
It was Thomas Jefferson's policy of offering the chiefs the choice of either adopting an agricultural lifestyle for each tribe (and foregoing their tribal hunting lands to the whites) or being expelled into the further reaches of the Trans-Mississippi areas and losing it all. It was a no-win situation for indigenous peoples and Tecumseh was always fighting an uphill battle to stop it. His best hope was (1) to unite ALL the Native tribes which he endeavored to do with tireless energy and (2) to get the other major power, the British, to furnish weapons and troops from Europe to hem in the Americans.
Such a situation came to pass with the War of 1812. The book does a good job of setting up the various motives and goals of all sides in the war. No matter which side you think bested the other in the American-British war, the true loser was the native forces trying to get a fair and square deal from either side.
Peter Stack is an entertaining and thorough historian. His book ASTORIA (about the earliest American settlement on the Pacific Coast) is also one to look up if you like this one, as I did.
November 12, 2023
4.5 stars.
September 17, 2023
While there’s not much new information to be found here, Gallop Toward the Sun works well as a quick bio of both Tecumseh and William Henry Harrison framed against the early expansions and conflicts of the United States. It’s a great starting place for those new to this important era of history.
January 26, 2024
A clear and engaging dual biography of Harrison and Tecumseh.
Stark looks at Harrison's hunger for Indian land and how he often played dirty in order to swindle Indians out of it. He notes how the Indians’ resistance to white expansion was weakened by white diseases, alcohol, the sheer weight of white population growth in the east, and lack of Indian unity. He also contrasts Tecumseh’s honesty and sincere desire for peace with Harrison’s political ambitions, well-to-do background, shady dealings, and desire for more and more land. He also describes how this situation was affected by America’s war with Britain.
The analysis is good. The narrative is lively and compelling, though some may find it a bit overly dramatic at times, and the pacing can be a bit uneven. The book also describes the course of the War of 1812 in some detail, even parts of it that don’t directly involve Harrison and Tecumseh. It also refers to the British army as the “Royal Army” at one point.
A vivid, well-written and well-researched work.
Stark looks at Harrison's hunger for Indian land and how he often played dirty in order to swindle Indians out of it. He notes how the Indians’ resistance to white expansion was weakened by white diseases, alcohol, the sheer weight of white population growth in the east, and lack of Indian unity. He also contrasts Tecumseh’s honesty and sincere desire for peace with Harrison’s political ambitions, well-to-do background, shady dealings, and desire for more and more land. He also describes how this situation was affected by America’s war with Britain.
The analysis is good. The narrative is lively and compelling, though some may find it a bit overly dramatic at times, and the pacing can be a bit uneven. The book also describes the course of the War of 1812 in some detail, even parts of it that don’t directly involve Harrison and Tecumseh. It also refers to the British army as the “Royal Army” at one point.
A vivid, well-written and well-researched work.
November 20, 2023
As an Ohio native, Tecumseh (more so than his brother Tenskwatawa [normally referred to as The Prophet]) plays a huge role in our state history. I remember being in fourth grade, the first time I had a dedicated history class, and having a week spent on learning about Tecumseh and the Shawnee. We even went to the live action play in Chillicothe (although, to be honest, it was so long ago that I can't remember much about the play itself, including how historically accurate it is or is not).
So I'm always down for a good book about Tecumseh, and I enjoyed this one. It made me loathe William Henry Harrison even more than I already did, which is kind of amazing, considering that (quite surprisingly) he was not taught as a good person in the history classes I took in school (I know, I'm shocked too, considering how the same school district lionized Thomas Jefferson). The man was lower than a snake's belly, and the author does a very good job of portraying how much the man waffled on everything, especially moral issues (this was a man who tried to join an abolitionist society, then continued to enslave people and tried to open the Northwest Territory to slavery). I read a review that said that they wanted to punch Harrison after reading this book, and I can't help but agree.
I liked how the author contrasted how Tecumseh was viewed in white circles (the leader of a noble but doomed race that had to be pushed aside to make room for white people) and native circles (a rising star that encouraged them to form tribal alliances and stand firm).
The only real criticism I could find of this book online were racists whining about how this is "revisionist history" and "modern day morality can't be used on the past." Sure it can. Genocide is always, always, ALWAYS wrong. People committing genocide are always wrong. ALWAYS. And anyone who tries to defend genocide is wrong too. That's like saying that one can't judge Hitler for murdering over six million Jews because hey, his morality was different from ours. So the fuck what? I can and will judge the ever-loving fuck out of that monster. He was wrong. He was a murderer. He committed genocide. He was a horrible person. And so was William Henry Harrison.
So I'm always down for a good book about Tecumseh, and I enjoyed this one. It made me loathe William Henry Harrison even more than I already did, which is kind of amazing, considering that (quite surprisingly) he was not taught as a good person in the history classes I took in school (I know, I'm shocked too, considering how the same school district lionized Thomas Jefferson). The man was lower than a snake's belly, and the author does a very good job of portraying how much the man waffled on everything, especially moral issues (this was a man who tried to join an abolitionist society, then continued to enslave people and tried to open the Northwest Territory to slavery). I read a review that said that they wanted to punch Harrison after reading this book, and I can't help but agree.
I liked how the author contrasted how Tecumseh was viewed in white circles (the leader of a noble but doomed race that had to be pushed aside to make room for white people) and native circles (a rising star that encouraged them to form tribal alliances and stand firm).
The only real criticism I could find of this book online were racists whining about how this is "revisionist history" and "modern day morality can't be used on the past." Sure it can. Genocide is always, always, ALWAYS wrong. People committing genocide are always wrong. ALWAYS. And anyone who tries to defend genocide is wrong too. That's like saying that one can't judge Hitler for murdering over six million Jews because hey, his morality was different from ours. So the fuck what? I can and will judge the ever-loving fuck out of that monster. He was wrong. He was a murderer. He committed genocide. He was a horrible person. And so was William Henry Harrison.
June 19, 2023
This a very good presentation of the events that lead up to the final battle and death of Tecumseh. William Henry Harrison, our shortest serving president, carefully staged the events of the final battle by continually using deceptive practices to “purchase” land from the Indians of the Northwest Territory at that time while Governor of the Indiana Territory. This forced Tecumseh to team up with the British during the War of 1812, but he was also deceived by them in the end. This is well written and researched.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
July 2, 2023
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group- Random House for an advance copy of this history on the expansion of America after the Revolutionary War, with a focus on two men on opposing sides.
History, especially American history always seems to be about sides. Rebels versus Tories and Britain, North versus South, a war that never seems to be settled, the East Coast Elites and West Coast Hippies versus Middle America. People always talk about being on the right side of history. However what determines the right side? The lesser of evils. The growth of a new nation at the expense of genocide for the natives. These are questions that really have no answers, and with the way this country is going will never really be asked, taught and probably made illegal to even think about. Following the American Revolution people wanted to get away from each other and live the life that had just fought for. The only problem the land they were acquiring already had people living on it. And they were getting tired of being moved. Treaty after broken treaty, massacres on both sides, taking sides with foreign countries, and even worse a Native American who was bringing the tribes together, instead of fighting amongst themselves. A battle between two sides, that seemed doomed to happen, along with a little help from a Governor with powerful aspirations. Historian Peter Stark has in Gallop Toward the Sun: Tecumseh and William Henry Harrison's Struggle for the Destiny of a Nation written a dual biography on both these men Native American and politician, with a look at America's expansion, and the many battles these men fought for their vision of the future.
Tecumseh was born in the country that later became part of Ohio and grew up watching his people's lands disappear and the death of his father trying to stop this. Tecumseh learned the ways of war from his older brother, and through trial and error leading raids that sometimes worked, and sometimes failed. Tecumseh gradually gained stature among the Native Americans, and Tecumseh began to travel among the different tribes from the reaching as far as Florida trying to form a coalition that instead of falling to tribal politics could stand united against the treat of American incursion. This did not sit well with the many politicians involved. William Henry Harrison was the son of a successful Virginia planter and signer of the Declaration of Independence, whose life seemed pretty well settled, until death claimed his father when Harrison was just going to college. The estate was not as wealthy as expected, and college for Harrison was no longer possible. Calling on a friend of the family, George Washington, Harrison entered the army and was sent to the frontier where he was able to see the expansion of America up close, and the money and power that could come with it. As Harrison gradually gained stature, like Tecumseh, Harrison was appointed Governor of the Indiana Territory and was in control of the land that could be given to settlers. Which would inflame the people already living there. Which was what they wanted.
A very informative and yet sad history about American expansion, and the cost to others for that land. Stark is a very good writer able to tell both sides Tecumseh and Harrison well, good bad or just human. Both men had much in common, well Harrison might have had a lot more greed, but their lives were close in many ways, and it is interesting how Stark shows this. The research is very good, and well sourced, and very well written. I found both men to be fascinating characters and though my sympathies are more with one than the other, I could understand both men's motivations and their actions. Stark sets the scene well, the narrative moves smooth covering both men at almost the same time. Also Stark explains things well, why this happened, Native American life and thinking, the numerous political motivations that made the inevitable possible. A very well thought out history book.
Recommended for readers about the west, and how it got started, and for those interested in life after the American Revolution. A lot of information is covered, and covered well. This is my first book by Peter Stark and I am very interested in reading more.
History, especially American history always seems to be about sides. Rebels versus Tories and Britain, North versus South, a war that never seems to be settled, the East Coast Elites and West Coast Hippies versus Middle America. People always talk about being on the right side of history. However what determines the right side? The lesser of evils. The growth of a new nation at the expense of genocide for the natives. These are questions that really have no answers, and with the way this country is going will never really be asked, taught and probably made illegal to even think about. Following the American Revolution people wanted to get away from each other and live the life that had just fought for. The only problem the land they were acquiring already had people living on it. And they were getting tired of being moved. Treaty after broken treaty, massacres on both sides, taking sides with foreign countries, and even worse a Native American who was bringing the tribes together, instead of fighting amongst themselves. A battle between two sides, that seemed doomed to happen, along with a little help from a Governor with powerful aspirations. Historian Peter Stark has in Gallop Toward the Sun: Tecumseh and William Henry Harrison's Struggle for the Destiny of a Nation written a dual biography on both these men Native American and politician, with a look at America's expansion, and the many battles these men fought for their vision of the future.
Tecumseh was born in the country that later became part of Ohio and grew up watching his people's lands disappear and the death of his father trying to stop this. Tecumseh learned the ways of war from his older brother, and through trial and error leading raids that sometimes worked, and sometimes failed. Tecumseh gradually gained stature among the Native Americans, and Tecumseh began to travel among the different tribes from the reaching as far as Florida trying to form a coalition that instead of falling to tribal politics could stand united against the treat of American incursion. This did not sit well with the many politicians involved. William Henry Harrison was the son of a successful Virginia planter and signer of the Declaration of Independence, whose life seemed pretty well settled, until death claimed his father when Harrison was just going to college. The estate was not as wealthy as expected, and college for Harrison was no longer possible. Calling on a friend of the family, George Washington, Harrison entered the army and was sent to the frontier where he was able to see the expansion of America up close, and the money and power that could come with it. As Harrison gradually gained stature, like Tecumseh, Harrison was appointed Governor of the Indiana Territory and was in control of the land that could be given to settlers. Which would inflame the people already living there. Which was what they wanted.
A very informative and yet sad history about American expansion, and the cost to others for that land. Stark is a very good writer able to tell both sides Tecumseh and Harrison well, good bad or just human. Both men had much in common, well Harrison might have had a lot more greed, but their lives were close in many ways, and it is interesting how Stark shows this. The research is very good, and well sourced, and very well written. I found both men to be fascinating characters and though my sympathies are more with one than the other, I could understand both men's motivations and their actions. Stark sets the scene well, the narrative moves smooth covering both men at almost the same time. Also Stark explains things well, why this happened, Native American life and thinking, the numerous political motivations that made the inevitable possible. A very well thought out history book.
Recommended for readers about the west, and how it got started, and for those interested in life after the American Revolution. A lot of information is covered, and covered well. This is my first book by Peter Stark and I am very interested in reading more.
February 1, 2024
When I started reading this book, I thought that its subtitle was a little hyperbolic (really, the "destiny of a nation"?). But I became convinced that the struggle for the old Northwest Territories in the late 18th and early 19th centuries really did have a tremendous impact on the way that subsequent American history unfolded. The book begins as sort of a dual biography, as it traces the background of the two chief protagonists (it was a bit more difficult with Tecumseh, as sources dealing with his youth are a bit more hard to come by). But the bulk of the book is about the turn-of-the 19th century conflict between white Americans and the indigenous people of what, back then, was considered "the west." William Henry Harrison's move to Indiana territory to serve as its governor was a turning point, as he embarked on a campaign to slowly, but consistently, get so-called native "leaders" to sign treaties that turned over large tracts of the Northwest to the United States. Anyone who already has the understanding that the U.S. were able to deprive natives of their lands through a variety of illegitimate means, this part of the book describes those methods in sad detail. The campaign of Tecumseh during that period was to attempt to unite the tribes to resist (and even to reverse) that expansion. The book contends that, with perhaps a little more help from the British, Tecumseh might have been able to create a separate native nation where the original "Big Ten" college football league emerged, but that clearly is something that we will never know. The narrative ends somewhat abruptly with Tecumseh's death, followed by just a few short references to the fate of the tribes of that part of the nation. My one star "deduction" is due to two things: 1. Going back and forth between the two main characters at the beginning of the book led to a little repetition in the narrative, and 2. The depth of the details of the author's description of events on the War of 1812 seemed a little arbitrary. (For instance, there were a lot more details provided about Napoleon's invasion of Russia than about the battle for the Niagara Frontier, which had a bigger impact on the battles around Lake Erie, which were decisive for the natives.) But these are small quibbles about a very book book, the best that I've read about the conflict between these two men.
January 13, 2024
Great review of the history of the Old Northwest Territory and how it was settled. It is an easy read, but that also means a lot of information is summarized - this isn't a detailed history.
One thing I learned was the (assumed) motive of Benjamin Harrison for being so aggressive in "buying" land from the Indians: so white settlers would move to Indiana and send Mr. Harrison back east as a senator from the new state, once the population achieved the necessary size. That makes sense.
I lost some patience with the book, though, because I felt like the undertone was that Tecumseh was great and good and Harrison was an underhanded weasel. Maybe. But the reality is that millions of people live in Indiana and Illinois today, a place where probably less than 50,000 Indians lived. Certainly, Tecumseh, despite his tireless campaigning, was never able to muster more than 2,000 warriors, hardly enough to seriously threaten American power. So we can argue all day about who was the good guy in this story, but the reality is Illinois and Indiana were never going to remain some sort of national park peopled only by Indians.
One fact I stumbled on was how many times British (and American) soldiers would praise the Indian warriors for how quickly and stealthily they could approach an enemy. The Americans often seemed like great dolts stumbling around in the wilderness, by comparison. But I realized that that meant the Indians were never going to conduct an extensive campaign - they could not, would not, transport the necessary supplies for an extended campaign. They were going to never do more than raid the enemy. They couldn't wipe out the enemy unless they achieved complete surprise. They would never conduct trench warfare.
So read the book and form your own opinion. I appreciated the review of this history, so easily forgotten.
One thing I learned was the (assumed) motive of Benjamin Harrison for being so aggressive in "buying" land from the Indians: so white settlers would move to Indiana and send Mr. Harrison back east as a senator from the new state, once the population achieved the necessary size. That makes sense.
I lost some patience with the book, though, because I felt like the undertone was that Tecumseh was great and good and Harrison was an underhanded weasel. Maybe. But the reality is that millions of people live in Indiana and Illinois today, a place where probably less than 50,000 Indians lived. Certainly, Tecumseh, despite his tireless campaigning, was never able to muster more than 2,000 warriors, hardly enough to seriously threaten American power. So we can argue all day about who was the good guy in this story, but the reality is Illinois and Indiana were never going to remain some sort of national park peopled only by Indians.
One fact I stumbled on was how many times British (and American) soldiers would praise the Indian warriors for how quickly and stealthily they could approach an enemy. The Americans often seemed like great dolts stumbling around in the wilderness, by comparison. But I realized that that meant the Indians were never going to conduct an extensive campaign - they could not, would not, transport the necessary supplies for an extended campaign. They were going to never do more than raid the enemy. They couldn't wipe out the enemy unless they achieved complete surprise. They would never conduct trench warfare.
So read the book and form your own opinion. I appreciated the review of this history, so easily forgotten.
Read
March 23, 2024This story bears relevance to me, having lived in Indiana my whole life. Coming to terms with our dark history first involves learning about it - then taking responsibility for it, even if we ourselves didn’t “do it”.
This style of dual biography was a clever way of exploring a brief window of American history - the acquisition and settling of whites in the Northwest Territory, at the expense of those who had lived in the region for thousands of years. It’s important not to rest on the idea that these events were ‘inevitable’, and that this is just an excuse to avoid exploring the moral quandary before us.
History does not look back on Harrison too favorably, unless you see the world today as he did then. On the other hand, Tecumseh emerges as an icon in his own right. Local schools in my area bear the names of both men. I am inclined to look more favorably toward the latter, while acknowledging the absurdity of it all.
Indeed, enough time has passed that what Tecumseh represented no longer occurs to us as a threat. It’s easy for us to see him in a favorable light, though certainly my ancestors were very afraid of him, insofar as they were aware. The passing of time does have that effect, though sometimes I feel it doesn’t happen quickly enough.
This attitude still prevails, as does the idea that land belongs to me because I want it, regardless of who’s already there. Just one way to challenge this state of affairs is to make light of our history and reframe it, arriving at a detached but educated opinion, instead of an emotional, uneducated one.
This style of dual biography was a clever way of exploring a brief window of American history - the acquisition and settling of whites in the Northwest Territory, at the expense of those who had lived in the region for thousands of years. It’s important not to rest on the idea that these events were ‘inevitable’, and that this is just an excuse to avoid exploring the moral quandary before us.
History does not look back on Harrison too favorably, unless you see the world today as he did then. On the other hand, Tecumseh emerges as an icon in his own right. Local schools in my area bear the names of both men. I am inclined to look more favorably toward the latter, while acknowledging the absurdity of it all.
Indeed, enough time has passed that what Tecumseh represented no longer occurs to us as a threat. It’s easy for us to see him in a favorable light, though certainly my ancestors were very afraid of him, insofar as they were aware. The passing of time does have that effect, though sometimes I feel it doesn’t happen quickly enough.
This attitude still prevails, as does the idea that land belongs to me because I want it, regardless of who’s already there. Just one way to challenge this state of affairs is to make light of our history and reframe it, arriving at a detached but educated opinion, instead of an emotional, uneducated one.
June 17, 2024
Very well-written narrative of Tecumseh and Harrison. Also extremely extremely infuriating. Rarely have I wanted to haul off and punch someone as much as I did Harrison. I kept having to take breaks and stress-clean things because he filled me with rage. If all you knew about Harrison before was "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!" & "delivered too long an inaugural address without wearing appropriate winter clothing and promptly died", then you may also add "extremely horrible person" and "good thing his Presidency was so short" to the list.
Tecumseh shines brightly throughout, and I can't be the only person who started imagining a world in which he and his Confederacy survived and the map of North America looked very different. I also appreciated how the author really worked to ground the narrative in the geography and the land. And his sharp points about how Americans love adopting vanquished enemies as legends AFTER they have been defeated, without reckoning with "if they were right all along, what does that say about us?"
I would have liked an epilogue that went a little more deeply into Tecumseh's legacy today and included more Native American voices and perspectives. There was one but it was only a few pages and I was hungry for more.
Glad I read this one even though it made me furious. Had to push through the fury to finish quickly because it has several people waiting at the library for it, which I'm glad of.
Tecumseh shines brightly throughout, and I can't be the only person who started imagining a world in which he and his Confederacy survived and the map of North America looked very different. I also appreciated how the author really worked to ground the narrative in the geography and the land. And his sharp points about how Americans love adopting vanquished enemies as legends AFTER they have been defeated, without reckoning with "if they were right all along, what does that say about us?"
I would have liked an epilogue that went a little more deeply into Tecumseh's legacy today and included more Native American voices and perspectives. There was one but it was only a few pages and I was hungry for more.
Glad I read this one even though it made me furious. Had to push through the fury to finish quickly because it has several people waiting at the library for it, which I'm glad of.
August 20, 2024
Overall, it was fine enough to read. I struggled with two things. Firstly, the start was tough to understand chronologically. Jump ahead, jump back, too much context or out of chronologcialy sequence that made me want (and succeeded in doing) to put the book down. Second, I think Stark caught himself up in the caricatures he created for both Harrison and Tecumseh. I'm not going to vilify Tecumseh or celebrate Harrison, but the other extreme is also not an complete representation. Nearly every time the audience is introduced to Tecumseh around a council fire, they receive another noble depiction. Similarly, not always within the confines of the specific subject on the page, the audience hears again how greedy and cunning Harrison was. I felt like both descriptions needed more depth, not just in proving the caricatures Stark provided, but also in demonstrating the good and bad of both. I enjoyed some of the writing, but finished it wanting more.
August 20, 2023
This is a brilliantly written and researched book about the rivalry between territorial governor William Henry Harrison and Shawnee chief Tecumseh for the possession of the Indiana Territory and the fate of the United States. Despite the understated emotion and the clear, cogent prose, the book frequently left me shaking with rage and grief, almost unable to continue reading. Harrison's ruthlessness, duplicity, and determination to grant land to white settlers even at the cost of genocide is horrifying and sickening. Yet stories like this desperately need to be heard so that Americans can finally come to terms with our past, and move forward with compassion and dignity.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
November 29, 2023
When I started this book, all I knew was that William Henry Harrison had the shortest presidency of all time and led to our first Vice President (John Tyler) becoming president. I had no idea that long before that short trivia fact, he was explosively involved in Native American affairs on the frontier. WHH stole Native lands to the point of disobeying and lying to President James Madison about his behavior, intertwining his life with that of Tecumseh with terrible consequences. I checked this audiobook out of the library only knowing that I was missing a WHH book for my challenge, and the story blew me away. Highly recommended reading for learning more about the American treatment of Native Americans and its entanglement with the War of 1812.
November 19, 2023
I like how this isn't a dry history book. It definitely kept my attention where sometimes when given too many facts it can be hard to not cloud over, but keep in mind this written very much for Tecumseh and not so much in favor of Harrison. While I agree with the author, it should be noted given it is a historical book. Also writing can be a little flowery, but definitely enjoyable if you keep all that in mind. This isn't the dry, clear cut history facts... its more written to keep your attention then sprew dates and facts.
July 13, 2024
This book contains so much information that I had to read it one chapter at a time taking time to let the information sink in before reading further. Well written and of particular interest since Wm. Henry Harrison lived, and is buried, just a few miles from me in North Bend, Ohio. Tecumseh is also a well known and famous name in the area. The deceit and lies, which most Americans acknowledge, seem so much worse when details are laid out and there isn’t any attempt to hide the intent. Well worth reading but I can no longer pretend that Wm. Henry Harrison was a great statesman.
September 11, 2023
Even if you've read a lot about Tecumseh, don't miss this one. There is a lot of happenings in Michigan but
a lot of background on happenings during the early days of our nation. The numerous promises and treaties regularly broken. How Washington and Jefferson both wanted to dispose of the native population even giving a slave to a tribe along with other goods. This is the history we all need to know so we can learn from it.
a lot of background on happenings during the early days of our nation. The numerous promises and treaties regularly broken. How Washington and Jefferson both wanted to dispose of the native population even giving a slave to a tribe along with other goods. This is the history we all need to know so we can learn from it.
December 14, 2023
Very well done account of Harrison, and Jefferson, plotting to steal all the Indian land, despite treaties which say otherwise, and Shawnee chief Tecumseh's attempts to stop them. Brings in the War of 1812 and many Indian tribes' collaboration with the British.
Harrison clearly was a racist jerk, and the more I read about Jefferson the more I conclude he was a racist elitist jerk.
Book is well written and reads almost like a novel - nothing dryly academic about it.
Harrison clearly was a racist jerk, and the more I read about Jefferson the more I conclude he was a racist elitist jerk.
Book is well written and reads almost like a novel - nothing dryly academic about it.
March 11, 2024
Gallop Toward the Sun: Tecumseh and William Henry Harrison’s Struggle for the Destiny of a Nation / Peter Stark. This popular history of conflict in what is now the Midwest and where I was raised, between the new European-Americans and the ancient peoples of the region is revelatory. My education in the nineteen-fifties and sixties covered the settlement of the “New Northwest” in a matter of paragraphs. This very readable coverage, featuring two significant leaders of the 1800s, is strongly recommended. In fact, having read Stark’s last three books, I think he has a gifted ability to bring to light lesser-known subjects of our common story.
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September 29, 2023This narrative nonfiction book details future president William Henry Harrison’s dealings with the Native Americans, specifically Tecumseh. It’s a sad tale full of betrayal and broken promises, but it has many good details about William Henry's wife, Anna, and life at their home. With no books specifically about Anna, this is a great choice to learn more about her family life.
August 23, 2023
Enjoyable non fiction read about something which I knew little about. Stark brings the era and historical figures to life. His writing is excellent-erudite with being stuffy. This is a must for the American history buff.
November 16, 2023
Depressing but enlightening. Depressing reading how Native Americans were treated during our country's push West. Enlightening to read how mistreated Native Americans were during our country's push West. William Harrison was portrayed as a real snake in this book.
May 10, 2024
3.5 Stars. Interesting book. Didn't know much about either figure and was happy to learn more. There is a good balance between exhaustive treatise and wikipedia summary. Well written and researched book.
Shelved as 'to-read-find'
August 29, 2023Who recommended this book to me: Brazos newsletter, on-going interest in Native American / U.S. history
September 20, 2023
Fantastic book!
October 17, 2023
Two large personalities in American history. I didn’t know either story.
December 14, 2023
Fascinating history about the surrounding period of the War of 1812. Tecumseh is a fascinating historical figure.
December 28, 2023
Called a "dual biography," this book describes the process by which the United States acquired land from the various Native American tribes in areas such as present day Ohio. The primary focus is on the two persons named in the title, and how the paths of Tecumseh and William Henry Harrison crossed many times over a period of years. There is ample description of the violence and bloodshed during this period, including details of fighting between the United States and England in the War of 1812. The author summarizes the outcome of that war as changing little between the Americans and the English, but having devastating consequences for the tribes, including Tecumseh's Shawnees.
There is very little in the book about how Harrison became President of the United States decades after the events. The life, death, and leadership of Tecumseh are well-chronicled, with copious citations to other books and to correspondence and diaries from the period.
There is very little in the book about how Harrison became President of the United States decades after the events. The life, death, and leadership of Tecumseh are well-chronicled, with copious citations to other books and to correspondence and diaries from the period.
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