Tecumseh’s Curse on American Presidents

Northeast of Lafayette, Indiana, lies a place called Prophetstown.

Once upon a time, this place was a bustling village filled with hundreds of dwellings, Shawnee Indians, and a large confederation of other tribes. It was led by Shawnee Chief Tecumseh and his brother, the mystical spiritual leader known as the Prophet.

Legend has it that the Prophet placed a curse on William Henry Harrison, who would become the ninth President of the United States. According to the curse, every American president inaugurated 20 years later would die in office or come dangerously close to it. This eerie prediction seemed to hold since 1840.

Let’s delve into the extraordinary story of Tecumseh’s curse.

It was the early 1800s, before Indiana had even become a state, and the region was known as Indiana Territory. Governor William Henry Harrison resided in a beautiful home in Vincennes, known today as Grouseland. His mission from the president was to acquire land from Native American tribes and expand the borders of the United States. Harrison negotiated numerous treaties with tribes, offering money, goods, and land tracts in return.

However, Shawnee Chief Tecumseh believed these treaties held no authority to sell the land to the United States. In 1810, he gathered several hundred warriors and met Harrison to challenge his actions. The meeting took a violent turn, with both Tecumseh and Harrison brandishing weapons. The confrontation nearly led to a deadly fight, but the sound of Harrison’s men cocking their rifles eventually diffused the situation.

Neither man trusted the other nor was willing to compromise, setting the stage for conflict and bloodshed.

Meanwhile, the Prophet, known as Tenskwatawa, united a confederation of tribes to reclaim their land and halt U.S. expansion. Many believed in his magical powers and viewed him as their spiritual leader, believing he could provide supernatural guidance.

While Harrison was in Vincennes, he attempted to discredit the Prophet and dissolve the Indian alliance at Prophetstown. He challenged the Prophet’s supposed magical abilities by daring him to turn day into night.

However, this challenge would prove to be a grave mistake. The Prophet was informed of Harrison’s taunt and accurately predicted a solar eclipse, turning daytime into night. This extraordinary event led many to believe that the Prophet possessed divine powers and that they were invincible under his guidance.

Prophetstown, situated along the Wabash and Tippecanoe Rivers, grew in size as Tecumseh delivered fiery speeches to tribes across the region. During his long absences, Harrison saw an opportunity to attack Prophetstown.

In November 1811, Harrison and around 1,000 soldiers set up camp near Prophetstown, now known as Battle Ground, just a mile and a half away. Harrison sent word to the Prophet, proposing a morning meeting that never took place.

Under a waning gibbous moon, Tenskwatawa informed his warriors that they would launch a surprise attack against Harrison’s men during the night. He claimed his magic would protect them from harm, making them invincible.

The battle began at 4 a.m., catching Harrison’s men off guard. The conflict lasted two hours and ended with the Prophet and his warriors retreating. Thirty-seven of Harrison’s men died in battle, with 25 succumbing to their wounds later. It’s estimated that over 50 warriors were killed.

Upon returning to Prophetstown, the warriors confronted the Prophet, who admitted that his magic had failed. Tenskwatawa promised to create new magic to continue their fight, but it was too late. The damage was done, and the warriors and their families abandoned Prophetstown. With the loss of Tenskwatawa’s leadership, Prophetstown fell the following day when Harrison’s men arrived to find it abandoned.

Harrison ordered the burning of hundreds of dwellings and the storehouse of winter food, ending the dream of Prophetstown. This conflict became known as the Battle of Tippecanoe and marked a decisive victory for Harrison and the expansion of the United States.

However, it was not the end of the story. The War of 1812 followed, with Tecumseh forming a large confederation of warriors and aligning with the British. On October 5, 1813, Harrison and about 4,000 soldiers confronted Tecumseh and his British allies in Ontario, Canada, in what became known as the Battle of the Thames. Tecumseh was killed, and his followers scattered.

Harrison earned the title “Hero of Tippecanoe” and used his military victories and popularity as a stepping stone to becoming the President of the United States.

But lurking in the shadows was a humiliated and resentful Prophet seeking vengeance for Prophetstown and the death of his brother Tecumseh.

It is said that the Prophet possessed dark, mystical powers, and he placed a curse on William Henry Harrison and every American president elected 20 years later. Remarkably, this curse seemed to affect the presidencies that followed Harrison’s in 1840.

William Henry Harrison capitalized on his victories and popularity, launching a presidential campaign called “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too,” with John Tyler as his vice president. He won the election in 1840.

On March 4, 1841, Harrison delivered the longest inauguration speech in American history, lasting nearly two hours. It was a cold, wet day, and he did not wear a hat or overcoat. He followed this with a lengthy parade, greeting guests for three hours and attending three inaugural parties that night. However, he fell ill, and despite efforts by doctors to treat him for cold-like symptoms, his condition worsened.

Just nine days after becoming president, Harrison died on April 4, 1841, succumbing to pneumonia. He became the first president to die in office and held the presidency for only 31 days, a record.

Following Harrison’s death, a series of remarkable coincidences unfolded for presidents elected 20 years apart:

– Abraham Lincoln, elected in 1860, was assassinated in 1865.
– James Garfield, elected in 1880, was assassinated in 1881.
– William McKinley, elected in 1900, was assassinated in 1901.
– Warren G. Harding, elected in 1920, died of a heart attack in 1923.
– Franklin D. Roosevelt, elected in 1940, died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1945.
– John F. Kennedy, elected in 1960, was assassinated in 1963.

It wasn’t until Ronald Reagan, elected in 1980 that a president elected 20 years later did not die in office. However, in 1981, he survived an assassination attempt. Reagan later died of pneumonia, but he was out of office at the time.

George W. Bush, elected in 2000, did not die in office. As of October 2022, he remains alive.

Joe Biden was elected in 2020, marking the next 20-year cycle. As of this production, he is still alive. Given the history of death and near-death experiences for presidents every 20 years, one can only wonder what the future holds.

By

2040, a new president will fall into this 20-year cycle. The only advice is to wear a coat if it’s cold outside, keep doctor appointments, and stay safe. Ultimately, regardless of one’s station in life, we all share the same fate.

Ultimately, people remember your name, how you lived, and how you treated others. Show kindness, express regret when needed, and make the most of the time between those two dates.

Sometimes, the only curse we have is how we choose to live.