the Prophet, Tenskwatawa 
- Time Period
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1786
 - 1834
- Description
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Tenskwatawa (1775-1836), "The Prophet," was a Shawnee Indian who gained notoriety after he said he was visited by the Master of Life, a Shawnee deity. He said the Master of Life told him that they must give up all white customs and products. If they did that, the deity would drive out the white settlers and return the land to them.His message resonated with many members of his and neighboring tribes in Ohio and the Indiana Territory. His followers eventually settled in Prophetstown in the Indiana Territory near the Tippecanoe River in the first decade of the nineteenth century, forming a vibrant Pan-Indian movement.By 1811, their numbers had grown so large that white settlers began complaining to authorities. As a territorial army approached, Tenskwatawa foretold a victory -- but Prophetstown was destroyed in the Battle of Tippecanoe.Although the defeat hurt Tenskwatawa’s alliance of Native Americans, he continued to fight for Shawnee rights until his 1836 death.
- Interactive Timeline(s)
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Race/Ethnicity and Religion
Religious Minorities (Non-Christian)
- Browse Related Timeline Entries
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Race/Ethnicity and Religion in American History
Religious Minorities (Non-Christian) in American History
- Religious Groups
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Timeline Entries for the same religious group Other Groups
Other Groups: Other ARDA Links
- Photographs
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Tenskwatawa portrait- National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
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Tenskwatawa portrait- Internet Archive- from Tecumseh and the Shawnee Prophet by Edward Eggleston and Lillie Eggleston Seelye
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Battle of Tippecanoe- Library of Congress, LC-DIG-pga-01891
- Web Source(s)
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http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Tenskwatawa
Ohio History Central, "Tenskwatawa"
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https://www.nps.gov/people/tenskwatawa.htm
National Park Service, "Tenskwatawa"
- Web Page Contributor
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Sandi Dolbee
Affliated with: Former Religion and Ethics Editor, The San Diego Union-Tribune
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