How America Remembers: Analysis of the Academic Interpretation and Public Memory of the Battle of Tippecanoe

Abstract

The Battle of Tippecanoe marked the turning point in relations between Anglo/American and Native American cultures, whose incompatible ways of understanding and living on the land and religious views made co-existence improbable. The battle also served as a last ditch effort by young, desperate warriors following the orders of a Prophet whose promises of invincibility and dominance proved untrue. The victory at Tippecanoe, and subsequent success during the War of 1812, strengthened the military prowess and popularity of the battle’s commander William Henry Harrison and his men. Overtime, the legacy of Harrison, his men, and Battle of Tippecanoe grew in significance. This thesis is an examination of the academic interpretation and public memory of the Battle of Tippecanoe. Until the cultural history movement by scholars in the mid-twentieth century, historical interpretation and public memory mirrored one another in the remembrance of the battle. As historians aimed to provide a more balanced and nuanced understanding of the Battle of Tippecanoe, the public memory of the battle remained entrenched in the teachings highlighted during Progressive Era. The purpose of this thesis is to trace the origins of both schools of thought as the importance and significance of the battle’s interpretation changed over the last 200 years.