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Biography & Autobiography Native Americans

Tecumseh

Shooting Star, Crouching Panther

by (author) Jim Poling

Publisher
Dundurn Press
Initial publish date
Nov 2009
Category
Native Americans, Historical, Military
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781554884148
    Publish Date
    Nov 2009
    List Price
    $19.99
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781770705685
    Publish Date
    Nov 2009
    List Price
    $7.99

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Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 14
  • Grade: 9

Description

Shawnee war chief Tecumseh dedicated his life to stopping American expansion and preserving the lands and cultures of North American Aboriginal peoples. He travelled relentlessly trying to build a confederation of tribes that would stop the territorial ambitions of the newly created United States of America.

Tecumseh tried both diplomacy and battle to preserve his Ohio Valley homelands. When he realized that neither could stop the American advancement, he turned to the British in Canada for help as the War of 1812 began. He and Isaac Brock, British geneal and Canadian hero, caputured Detroit early in the war and historians believe they would have gone on to more impressive battles had Brock not fallen at Queenston Heights in 1812. After the loss of Brock, some success was achieved against the Americans, notably in the woods at Fort Meigs, Ohio, in May 1813. But when the Americans won the decisive Battle of Lake Erie later that summer, the door to Canada was opened. Chased by his nemesis William Henry Harrison, Tecumseh and the British retreated, making a final stand at the Battle of Moraviantown. Tecumseh was killed in the battle. His death marked the end of First Nations resistence to American expansion south of the Great Lakes.

A great leader, Tecumseh left an indelible mark on the history of both Canada and the United States. The story of his struggle to preserve a vanishing culture is one that remains relvant toda. One of the greatest tributes to Tecumseh came from his enemy, Harrison, who later became president of the United States. He called Tecumseh an "uncommon genius," who in another place, another time, could have built an empire.

About the author

Jim Poling Sr. was a newspaper journalist for 35 years before turning to freelance magazine and book writing. Much of his journalism career was spent with The Canadian Press, the national news agency, in postings that included Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto and assignments across the Far North, Alaska, Russia, Scandinavia and Cuba. He began his CP career as a reporter and worked as editor, bureau chief, editor-in-chief and general manager.

Jim Poling's profile page

Editorial Reviews

Poling's writing is as straight as an arrow: no fluff, yet packed with information, peppered with pictures and with enough visceral appeal for the average reader. It is a small, polished gem of a book that will appeal to anyone with an interest in the role of the British in the Aboriginal resistance, North American history, the Shawnee people of the Ohio river valley - and above all else, chief Tecumseh himself - a man of "uncommon genius" as characterized by his enemies.

Chronicle Journal

Anyone with an interest in the role of the British in Aboriginal resistance, North American history, the Shawnee people or Tecumseh will benefit from this title.

Resource Links

Overall, this is a very good biography and resource for studying Tecumseh's period of history in the American northwest and the role that native peoples played in the War of 1812.

CM Magazine

Librarian Reviews

Tecumseh: Shooting Star, Crouching Panther

This new biography in The Quest Library collection thoroughly documents the entire life of Shawnee war chief Tecumseh. Going beyond just covering the facts of Tecumseh’s life, the author includes background information to give the reader context for what was happening in the larger conflict between the First Nations peoples and European colonizers at the time. The author acknowledges that there are inconsistencies in accounts from the time. He includes information about the various versions of events and facts, such as how many wives Tecumseh had or how exactly he died. Also included is a timeline that compares what was going on in Tecumseh’s life with events in the larger world at the time.

Caution: Included graphic descriptions of violence.

Source: The Association of Book Publishers of BC. Canadian Aboriginal Books for Schools. 2012-2013.

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