Harrison and Tenskwatawa

I. Organizing Everyday Life at Prophetstown

A. The Village--or, perhaps more appropriately, the villages. Dwellings were set up in a grid pattern, in the European (or American) pattern, and the dwellings themselves utilized both traditional Native American styles and European styles. There was also a kind of temporary shelter for short-term visitors (called the Strangers' House), a granary, and a lodge for the Prophet to commune with the Great Spirit.

B. Popularity of Prophet's Message--the move to Prophetstown did nothing to diminish the popularity of the Prophet's message; in fact, its appeal to western Native Americans created a greater popularity. By 1810, there were probably more than 6,000 people living in the town--which meant that the largest city in the interior of the country outside of New Orleans was an Indian town. This popularity put even greater stress upon finding a way to feed all of the visitors, however, and in the short run undermined the Prophet's message.

1. Lack of Food--the huge numbers of people flocking to Prophetstown meant that food was perpetually in short supply. For those arriving later in the fall of 1808, this left them more susceptible to diseases. Losses were particularly heavy for the Ojibway, Ottowas, and Pottawatomies--but, surprisingly, affected relatively few Shawnee. This led the people who suffered the heaviest losses to suspect the Prophet of practicing some kind of witchcraft on them, and in the spring they fled Prophetstown, moving back to their home villages where they began to undermine the Prophet with their suspicions.


2. Harrison's Reappraisal--despite his lingering suspicions, upon meeting Tenskwatawa Harrison was surprisingly impressed. This was especially true after Harrison witnessed Tenskwatawa preaching (although Harrison was not converted, and in fact attempted to explain Christianity in more detail to the Prophet--at least, as he practiced Christianity)


3. Native Challenge to the Prophet's Authority--several of these new non-believers returned to Prophetstown to directly challenge the Prophet. Finding a Shawnee woman and child outside the confines of the settlement, they murdered and scalped them, to challenge Tenskwatawa's contention that he and the Great Spirit would prevent any harm coming to the residents of Prophetstown.


4. Harrison's Lingering Doubts-despite his initial favorable impression, Harrison continued to believe that Tenskwatawa was plotting with the British to create a buffer state in the Great Lakes region.


5. US Indian Policy Subverts Peace Efforts--Historians of late have placed much blame on Harrison for the continued hostility between the United States and Native Americans in the Great Lakes region--but it was in fact the policies of the United States that caused this rift.