The Groundless Middle: Indians, Empires, Republics, and Legends in the War of 1812

Thursday, January 5, 2012: 3:00 PM
Ruggles Hall (The Newberry Library (60 W. Walton Street))
Gregory Dowd, University of Michigan
The Groundless Middle: Indians, Empires, Republics, and Legends in the War of 1812

Description: This presentation will address several legends concerning Tecumseh that have found their way into our histories of the war of 1812, casting doubt upon various aspects of events that occurred during and immediately after his tour of the South in 1811.  These include the role of eclipses, comets, and earthquakes in history; his anger at Tenskwatawa for the battle of Tippecanoe, and the decline of the Shawnee Prophet’s influence following that battle