WEBVTT - How Tecumseh Worked

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class from how

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<v Speaker 1>Stuff Works dot Com. Hello and welcome to the podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Katie Lambert and I'm Sarah Dowdy and our subject

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<v Speaker 1>for today is definitely on our top ten list of

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<v Speaker 1>most requested. It's Takumsa, who was the leader of the

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<v Speaker 1>biggest Indian resistance movement ever. He was a visionary and

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<v Speaker 1>a hero and died fighting for the survival of his people,

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<v Speaker 1>much like Sitting Bowl, but he almost won. And Tekomsa

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<v Speaker 1>was born in seventeen sixty eight and what's now Ohio

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<v Speaker 1>along the Scioto River, and he was of the Panther

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<v Speaker 1>clan like his dad, and it was one of the

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<v Speaker 1>divisions of the Shawnee tribe. And he may have also

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<v Speaker 1>had a little bit of Creak and English blood in him.

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<v Speaker 1>But his name meant shooting star or a panther crouching

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<v Speaker 1>for his prey, which are both really awesome definitions, I think.

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<v Speaker 1>And a little background on his background, we have to

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<v Speaker 1>talk about the French and Indian War. When that ended

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<v Speaker 1>in seventeen sixty three, the British had won, and they

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<v Speaker 1>thought they had won Canada, which technically they did, but

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<v Speaker 1>the Indians saw them as a threat and rose up.

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<v Speaker 1>The Shawnees were a big part of this rebellion. There

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<v Speaker 1>was a lot of killing and a lot of settlers captured.

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<v Speaker 1>And in seventeen sixty eight, when Takamsa was born at

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<v Speaker 1>the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy of New York,

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<v Speaker 1>which was very powerful, sold Kentucky and part of Pennsylvania

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<v Speaker 1>along the Ohio in the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, which

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<v Speaker 1>completely screwed the Shawnees and they didn't even share the

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<v Speaker 1>money with them. So that's a little background on where

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<v Speaker 1>he's from. Yeah, and the Shawnee are scattered all over

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<v Speaker 1>the country, and that's partly due to the Iroquois influence

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<v Speaker 1>and then partly because of the influx of settlers and

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<v Speaker 1>two comes of parents had settled in Ohio and joined

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<v Speaker 1>an established community there has had a lot of the

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<v Speaker 1>scattered Shawnee um but because of their troubles, they thought

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<v Speaker 1>that maybe the Great Spirit was displeased with them, and

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<v Speaker 1>if they returned to one of their homelands like Ohio,

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<v Speaker 1>where there were lots of sacred objects and um important

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<v Speaker 1>things to the tribe, they could maybe regain the Great

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<v Speaker 1>spirits favor, Ohio was the center of the world for them.

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<v Speaker 1>But talking about some of their troubles, we have the

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<v Speaker 1>encroachment on land by settlers and speculators. The Indians were

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<v Speaker 1>pushed farther and farther from their homelands, losing not only

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<v Speaker 1>their homes, but also their traditions, their togetherness, and their

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<v Speaker 1>entire way of life. Well in their game, which is

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<v Speaker 1>a really huge part of it all. I mean, it

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<v Speaker 1>meant starvation, and instead of trying to coexist, the settlers

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<v Speaker 1>simply forced the Indians out, and tension between the two

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<v Speaker 1>often erupted in violence on both sides. So if you

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<v Speaker 1>were a small child growing up like t comes, you

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<v Speaker 1>would witness death after violent death, and plenty of torture.

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<v Speaker 1>And you would also be a uh, sort of the

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<v Speaker 1>straddling of two different eras for your for your people,

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<v Speaker 1>because a lot of the white customs were starting to

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<v Speaker 1>infiltrate Indian culture, everything from diet to clothing and also

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<v Speaker 1>some not so great gifts like smallpox and alcohol. So

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<v Speaker 1>your world would be changing and it would be very

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<v Speaker 1>different from the way your parents grew up. So the

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<v Speaker 1>Indians are losing everything at this point, and they don't

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<v Speaker 1>know what to do. Do you fight, do you go

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<v Speaker 1>for a policy of appeasement, do you try to go

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<v Speaker 1>to the king and talk to him and see what

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<v Speaker 1>he can do. But those questions are answered for them

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<v Speaker 1>when Lord Dunmore's comes in the seventeen seventy four Lord

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<v Speaker 1>Dunmore's War, and his premise was basically that we needed

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<v Speaker 1>to fight the hostile Indians, although we would like to

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<v Speaker 1>point out that the Indians were only hostile because you

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<v Speaker 1>were taking their land and making them starve. So the Shawnee,

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<v Speaker 1>of course, will find and to come, says a young

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<v Speaker 1>boy then, and he's watching the war parties leave, and

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<v Speaker 1>here's the stories of them fighting fiercely and bravely, but

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<v Speaker 1>they were outnumbered and eventually lost. But he gets an

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<v Speaker 1>idea of honor, and his father sends back a message

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<v Speaker 1>with one of his other sons to maintain the dignity

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<v Speaker 1>and honor of their family. So the outcome of Lord

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<v Speaker 1>Dunmore's War for the Shawnee is that their crops have

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<v Speaker 1>been destroyed. Their ammunition has been used up, which is

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<v Speaker 1>a big deal because they don't have ammunition to hunt game.

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<v Speaker 1>So their face with starvation, and on a more personal

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<v Speaker 1>level for two come to he loses his father, and

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<v Speaker 1>his mother left shortly thereafter, maybe to go to relatives,

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<v Speaker 1>and she didn't return. And he also lost his white

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<v Speaker 1>foster brother, who had been captured a long time earlier

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<v Speaker 1>by his father and had lived with him for his

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<v Speaker 1>entire childhood. But after Lord Dunmore's wore, a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>captives were reforced to return to their families, even though

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<v Speaker 1>this boy did not want go back and begged to

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<v Speaker 1>stay so for a while. He lives with a chief

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<v Speaker 1>named Blackfish and more white foster brothers, which is an

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<v Speaker 1>interesting point to consider with his upbringing, that he does

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<v Speaker 1>grow up with white brothers, and uh, something to consider

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<v Speaker 1>for the future when we're talking about two comes to

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<v Speaker 1>fighting against white people, right, And for a little more

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<v Speaker 1>about his adolescence, he was a very good hunter once

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<v Speaker 1>he killed sixteen buffaloes in a row, according to legend,

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<v Speaker 1>and he was very charismatic. Tribal people in the nineteenth

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<v Speaker 1>century said he was a man of very strong medicine,

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<v Speaker 1>and he was respected and loved. He was a great speaker,

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<v Speaker 1>and it was clear to everyone that he was going

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<v Speaker 1>to be someone special. Yeah. Well, and he's also starting

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<v Speaker 1>to reform his ideas about the right way to fight.

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<v Speaker 1>He'd seen family and friends killed by white men, and

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<v Speaker 1>he's also seen the Indians fight back, and sometimes pretty cruelly,

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<v Speaker 1>and so he's seen this ruthless violence on both sides

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<v Speaker 1>and decides that that's not the way he wants to fight.

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<v Speaker 1>He's in favor of violent resistance when it's necessary, but

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<v Speaker 1>he's anti torture and anti cruelty if pro ruthlessness again

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<v Speaker 1>when necessary. So to put us again in historical context,

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<v Speaker 1>now it's the American Revolution. Both sides want the armed Indians,

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<v Speaker 1>but because the American settlers have been so terrible to

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<v Speaker 1>them so far, the Indians decide to fight with the

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<v Speaker 1>British with the promise that they will get some of

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<v Speaker 1>their land back for their service. But when it's all

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<v Speaker 1>done three piece of Paris, the Brits give all the

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<v Speaker 1>land to the Americans. They don't recognize their Indian allies

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<v Speaker 1>in any way. They're not even mentioned. Yeah, so they're

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<v Speaker 1>completely forgotten. And after that the fighting doesn't end either,

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<v Speaker 1>the fight for the Northwest and two come to joins in. Finally,

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<v Speaker 1>he's old enough to be a warrior, and he sees

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<v Speaker 1>his brothers die. So the Brits say that if the

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<v Speaker 1>Indians want to fight the Americans, they'll give them guns support.

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<v Speaker 1>So it's a question, now are you going to trust

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<v Speaker 1>the British again a second time? And you do. But

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<v Speaker 1>at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, the Indians lost and

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<v Speaker 1>they went to a British fort expecting help and support,

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<v Speaker 1>and the British wouldn't even let them in. So Two

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<v Speaker 1>Comes has learned an important lesson, as have the rest

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<v Speaker 1>of the Indians. The Brits have betrayed them yet again,

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<v Speaker 1>and now they have to sign the Treaty of Greenville

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<v Speaker 1>in August, in which the Indians gave up almost all

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<v Speaker 1>of their land in Ohio. But to Come so refused

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<v Speaker 1>to recognize it. Yeah, he thought that you couldn't just

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<v Speaker 1>go and talk to individual tribes about purchasing land, that

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<v Speaker 1>all Indians own the land together. It was a communal

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<v Speaker 1>possession and one individual or even one tribe can't go

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<v Speaker 1>about giving it away. So he's emerging as a leader

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<v Speaker 1>now and developing his ideology that all Indians are in

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<v Speaker 1>danger and they have to figure out something to do.

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<v Speaker 1>And to give you an idea of what two Comes

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<v Speaker 1>was up against in the early eighteen hundreds, Jefferson said

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<v Speaker 1>that for the backward Indians who wouldn't yield, we shall

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<v Speaker 1>be obliged to drive them with the beasts of the

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<v Speaker 1>forests into the stony mountains. And he had a plan,

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<v Speaker 1>the factory system, to put all Native Americans in debt. Basically,

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<v Speaker 1>you could trade for for goods with the government, but

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<v Speaker 1>it would never be equal, and it would put you

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<v Speaker 1>slowly deeper and deeper into debt. And once you got

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<v Speaker 1>so deep into debt that you couldn't pay it anymore, well,

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<v Speaker 1>the government was so kindly to take your land off

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<v Speaker 1>of your hands. Yeah, so this is what two come

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<v Speaker 1>so is up against, not only violence and war, but

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<v Speaker 1>these tricky little plans that are being worked out behind

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<v Speaker 1>the scenes. And so he formulates his own plan, and

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<v Speaker 1>that's too unite the Indians against the whites. And the

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<v Speaker 1>goal of unity is to put aside tribal rivalries, which

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<v Speaker 1>is not something that UH many were inclined to do.

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<v Speaker 1>It wasn't an entirely new idea. Indians have been trying

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<v Speaker 1>to do so ever since it became clear that these

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<v Speaker 1>white settlers were a threat, but it hadn't really worked

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<v Speaker 1>so far, and the obstacles to unity described by John Sugden,

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<v Speaker 1>and two Comes to a life where that the tribes

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<v Speaker 1>all had different languages, they had different cultures, they were

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<v Speaker 1>rivalries between them, tribal authority was weak, and they were

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<v Speaker 1>politically decentralized. So they're not well positioned for the kind

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<v Speaker 1>of confederacy that Two Comes I was hoping to build.

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<v Speaker 1>So but what's so impressive about Two Comes as uh

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<v Speaker 1>plan and his ambition here is that it is very broad.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, he visits Indian tribes from Canada to the

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<v Speaker 1>Gulf of Mexico personally, and he envisioned this confederacy of Indians,

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<v Speaker 1>that he would bring people together through his charisma, his

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<v Speaker 1>fantastic speaking skills, but also the clear need that they

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<v Speaker 1>all had to save themselves. And he had a powerful

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<v Speaker 1>ally For a time, his brother who was known as

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<v Speaker 1>the Prophet, and the Prophet hadn't been such a great

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<v Speaker 1>guy to start with. He was an alcoholic, he couldn't

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<v Speaker 1>take care of his family, and then one day he

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<v Speaker 1>has this near death experience and he has a vision

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<v Speaker 1>and it just turns his life around completely. He quits

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<v Speaker 1>drinking cold turkey and um starts to preach and again

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<v Speaker 1>it's it's clear to everyone now that the way of

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<v Speaker 1>life is dying for the Indians. But the question for

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<v Speaker 1>them is why and what can they do? But the

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<v Speaker 1>prophet has their answer. He says that if they give

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<v Speaker 1>up all of their white customs and get rid of

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<v Speaker 1>white influence from alcohol to iron cookware, that the Great

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<v Speaker 1>Spirit will once again be happy with them and will

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<v Speaker 1>take the settlers away from their land. It's a return

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<v Speaker 1>to what once was and hope for downtrodden people. A

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<v Speaker 1>half of their men had been killed at this point,

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<v Speaker 1>or twice as many women as men. They've lost so much. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>they're looking for anything here. And so the two brothers

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<v Speaker 1>settled at a place called Prophets Town in eighteen o eight,

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<v Speaker 1>and their followers come, and a lot of Indians in

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<v Speaker 1>one place really upset the white people. They got very,

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<v Speaker 1>very nervous. And Uh two comes his winning support too,

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<v Speaker 1>So this is extra unsettling. He gains a reputation for

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<v Speaker 1>defying the government. And one man takes notice, William Henry Harrison,

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<v Speaker 1>who was federal governor of the Indiana Territory, and he

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<v Speaker 1>had of course communicated with Jefferson and understood what his

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<v Speaker 1>mission was. He negotiated with two comes a couple of

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<v Speaker 1>times face to face, and two comes to told him

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<v Speaker 1>that basically there was going to be a war. Harrison

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<v Speaker 1>kept up his dirty dealings, they would fight, and Harrison

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<v Speaker 1>had every intention of doing so. He called him an

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<v Speaker 1>uncommon genius. But that doesn't mean he was above bribing

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<v Speaker 1>Indians for their land and taking what little they had left.

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<v Speaker 1>Many of his land deals were possibly very legal. So

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<v Speaker 1>Harrison pulls what he probably thought was a pretty smart

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<v Speaker 1>move and challenges the profit to prove himself. And then

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<v Speaker 1>what do you know, A solar eclipse happens and profit delivered.

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<v Speaker 1>Not just any unlike seven Arola, It's not just any

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<v Speaker 1>solar eclipse either. I mean it's a very very dramatic one.

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<v Speaker 1>And uh now the prophet and his brother two come,

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<v Speaker 1>so that really have followers. People who are sort of

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<v Speaker 1>on the fence before, not quite knowing if they believed

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<v Speaker 1>in it, are really gung ho now and the white

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<v Speaker 1>people are freaked out. I mean, this is a disturbing turn. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>up to this point, the settlers have simply been able

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<v Speaker 1>to bulldoze the Indians, but this is different. This is

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<v Speaker 1>a real threat, something that could grow into big opposition,

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<v Speaker 1>and in two Comes told Harrison that he represented every

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<v Speaker 1>Indian on the continent. According to PBS is We Shall Remain,

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<v Speaker 1>which is part of the American Experience series, and that

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<v Speaker 1>was a huge deal to have one man not representing

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<v Speaker 1>just his tribe or his people, but all the Indians

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<v Speaker 1>at once. He's embodying what he wanted in that Confederates.

0:13:11.120 --> 0:13:13.280
<v Speaker 1>I mean, it's something that I'd say the Americans aren't

0:13:13.280 --> 0:13:17.400
<v Speaker 1>even entirely comfortable with. Yet. In eighteen eleven, two Comes

0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:20.600
<v Speaker 1>is on the road down south talking to some other

0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:23.480
<v Speaker 1>tribes and urging them to come together, and he was

0:13:23.559 --> 0:13:27.559
<v Speaker 1>aware that Harrison was near Prophetstown and planning to do something.

0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:32.520
<v Speaker 1>So he told his brother, the Prophet, absolutely not to attack,

0:13:33.120 --> 0:13:35.840
<v Speaker 1>but according to the Prophet, the Master of Life told

0:13:35.920 --> 0:13:38.520
<v Speaker 1>him that he had to, and so he obeyed. He

0:13:38.679 --> 0:13:40.839
<v Speaker 1>told his men that the bullets wouldn't hurt them and

0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:45.280
<v Speaker 1>attacked Harrison's forces on November seventh, eighteen eleven, which became

0:13:45.320 --> 0:13:49.000
<v Speaker 1>known as the Battle of Tippecanoe in today's Indiana, and

0:13:49.080 --> 0:13:53.040
<v Speaker 1>the Indians lost, but the Americans did have heavy losses themselves.

0:13:53.520 --> 0:13:56.920
<v Speaker 1>They then destroyed Prophets Town, and this is considered the

0:13:57.040 --> 0:13:59.839
<v Speaker 1>first battle of the War of eighteen twelve. But it

0:14:00.080 --> 0:14:04.000
<v Speaker 1>so terrible moral blow for the Indians too, because since

0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:06.920
<v Speaker 1>the prophet had told people he was invincible through the

0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:10.840
<v Speaker 1>Master of Life's grace, now people not only don't believe

0:14:10.880 --> 0:14:13.559
<v Speaker 1>in the religion anymore, but they don't believe anything the

0:14:13.640 --> 0:14:16.920
<v Speaker 1>two brothers have said. And supposedly Two Comes It comes

0:14:17.000 --> 0:14:20.120
<v Speaker 1>back to see his brother and is so enraged that

0:14:20.280 --> 0:14:23.440
<v Speaker 1>he shakes him. And it seems like their dream of

0:14:23.520 --> 0:14:26.960
<v Speaker 1>a confederacy has dimmed a bit. It seems like they're

0:14:26.960 --> 0:14:29.120
<v Speaker 1>not going to be able to rebound from this setback.

0:14:29.480 --> 0:14:32.200
<v Speaker 1>But Two Come so won't give up, and he continues

0:14:32.280 --> 0:14:35.000
<v Speaker 1>to travel all around the country speaking to his people

0:14:35.080 --> 0:14:37.680
<v Speaker 1>and trying to rally them to the cause. And he

0:14:37.800 --> 0:14:41.080
<v Speaker 1>wanted a permanent homeland for them. The way it's been

0:14:41.200 --> 0:14:43.120
<v Speaker 1>explained in some of the sources I was reading was

0:14:43.240 --> 0:14:46.680
<v Speaker 1>to picture a country within a country, a country that

0:14:46.760 --> 0:14:50.560
<v Speaker 1>has its own rules and customs and borders, and that's

0:14:50.640 --> 0:14:53.840
<v Speaker 1>what they could have. That was the hope. And it

0:14:53.960 --> 0:14:56.640
<v Speaker 1>comes to this argument that if they don't stick together,

0:14:56.840 --> 0:14:59.840
<v Speaker 1>they're gonna lose is persuasive enough to win back people

0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:04.120
<v Speaker 1>who were skeptical after tip a canoe in May eighteen twelve.

0:15:04.240 --> 0:15:07.920
<v Speaker 1>He's got eight hundred warriors in Prophets Town and four

0:15:08.000 --> 0:15:11.320
<v Speaker 1>thousand more getting ready in the Northwest, and he knows

0:15:11.440 --> 0:15:14.600
<v Speaker 1>war is coming. And to give you a little snapshot

0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:17.560
<v Speaker 1>of the War of eighteen twelve, the Brits were taking

0:15:17.680 --> 0:15:21.760
<v Speaker 1>American sailors by force, and no one likes impressment. They

0:15:21.840 --> 0:15:24.640
<v Speaker 1>also didn't want the US to trade with the French,

0:15:24.880 --> 0:15:27.560
<v Speaker 1>and they won't leave the country as they promised, So

0:15:27.720 --> 0:15:30.760
<v Speaker 1>tensions between the Americans and the British are already there.

0:15:31.160 --> 0:15:33.000
<v Speaker 1>And to come to as hoping to be able to

0:15:33.120 --> 0:15:36.160
<v Speaker 1>take advantage of this. Yeah, so he joins the British

0:15:36.240 --> 0:15:39.760
<v Speaker 1>in Canada with the idea that they'll help him get

0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:42.280
<v Speaker 1>some of his lands back, some of the Indians lands

0:15:42.640 --> 0:15:47.040
<v Speaker 1>in return for Indian service. And the British need the numbers,

0:15:47.120 --> 0:15:49.720
<v Speaker 1>they need people to help them with this fight, and

0:15:49.800 --> 0:15:52.680
<v Speaker 1>they're impressed with him when British general says of him,

0:15:52.960 --> 0:15:56.560
<v Speaker 1>a more gallant or sagacious warrior does not exist, So

0:15:56.680 --> 0:15:59.440
<v Speaker 1>to come so it brought his best, hoping to save

0:15:59.560 --> 0:16:02.560
<v Speaker 1>his people from being extinguished, and brought all of his

0:16:02.680 --> 0:16:05.680
<v Speaker 1>followers with him and was very successful. He managed to

0:16:05.840 --> 0:16:10.000
<v Speaker 1>scare the Americans out of Canada. Brigadier General William Hull

0:16:10.120 --> 0:16:13.840
<v Speaker 1>retreated all the way to Detroit and in August eighteen twelve,

0:16:14.080 --> 0:16:17.480
<v Speaker 1>whole surrendered Detroit before they'd even attacked. They had this

0:16:18.040 --> 0:16:20.280
<v Speaker 1>em ploy where they were marching, you know, Americans and

0:16:20.360 --> 0:16:22.560
<v Speaker 1>Canadians outside, to make it seem like there were so

0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:25.000
<v Speaker 1>many things at their numbers. Then there were, and Hull

0:16:25.080 --> 0:16:28.400
<v Speaker 1>looked out and thought no, just no, and raised the

0:16:28.480 --> 0:16:32.200
<v Speaker 1>white flags. So we lost to Canadians, you guys, and

0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:34.920
<v Speaker 1>we didn't even fight. So that must be why the

0:16:34.960 --> 0:16:41.760
<v Speaker 1>Canadians keep on suggesting this man. So TKMS has been

0:16:41.840 --> 0:16:45.520
<v Speaker 1>fighting with a British officer named Isaac Brock, but unfortunately

0:16:45.640 --> 0:16:48.560
<v Speaker 1>for us, Brock was killed and the new guy who

0:16:48.640 --> 0:16:52.440
<v Speaker 1>takes his place is named Henry Proctor, and he's not

0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:55.560
<v Speaker 1>quite the man that Brock was, and he's much more

0:16:55.640 --> 0:17:00.040
<v Speaker 1>interested in just keeping Canada defended and not helping t

0:17:00.160 --> 0:17:03.240
<v Speaker 1>Comesa in his cause. So two Comesa's left with this

0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:06.160
<v Speaker 1>guy Proctor, who really leaves a lot to be desired

0:17:06.680 --> 0:17:11.000
<v Speaker 1>to fight against William Henry Harrison, who is a tough

0:17:11.080 --> 0:17:16.560
<v Speaker 1>cookie for sure. And Harrison has invaded Ontario in eighteen thirteen,

0:17:16.680 --> 0:17:20.240
<v Speaker 1>and at the Battle of the Thames in October thirteen,

0:17:20.560 --> 0:17:24.360
<v Speaker 1>Harrison has three thousand, five hundred men. There are eight

0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:27.679
<v Speaker 1>hundred Brits, and there are five hundred Indians, and two

0:17:27.760 --> 0:17:30.639
<v Speaker 1>comesas as to Proctor, you have got to make a

0:17:30.800 --> 0:17:34.680
<v Speaker 1>stand against Harrison. But Proctor retreats, and I mean he

0:17:34.760 --> 0:17:38.720
<v Speaker 1>actually runs away from the battle, barely even fights. And

0:17:39.000 --> 0:17:42.560
<v Speaker 1>so two Comsa and his troops are left alone against

0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:47.800
<v Speaker 1>this huge opposing force of Harrison's and they'll never win.

0:17:48.240 --> 0:17:50.920
<v Speaker 1>They know they won't win. Everyone knows that they won't win.

0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:53.760
<v Speaker 1>But to Comesa says, he simply will not retreat, and

0:17:53.880 --> 0:17:56.080
<v Speaker 1>his men won't retreat. They're going to stay and fight.

0:17:56.240 --> 0:17:59.080
<v Speaker 1>They asked the British for their weapons at least, and

0:17:59.160 --> 0:18:01.840
<v Speaker 1>they headed to the woods, and Harrison's men went in

0:18:01.960 --> 0:18:04.679
<v Speaker 1>after them. Two come So died there, and his cause

0:18:05.480 --> 0:18:08.800
<v Speaker 1>died with him. But we don't exactly know where his

0:18:08.960 --> 0:18:11.560
<v Speaker 1>body is. Some people say that it was buried in

0:18:11.760 --> 0:18:15.200
<v Speaker 1>a secret place, safe from the Americans who may have

0:18:15.280 --> 0:18:17.960
<v Speaker 1>wanted to desecrate it. But some say that his body

0:18:18.200 --> 0:18:20.560
<v Speaker 1>was found and it was mutilated. The skin was cut

0:18:20.640 --> 0:18:24.520
<v Speaker 1>from it to make Razor Strops according to a Smithsonian article,

0:18:25.119 --> 0:18:27.600
<v Speaker 1>and everyone claimed that they were the one to kill

0:18:27.960 --> 0:18:31.840
<v Speaker 1>two Comes. I mean, that would be a very impressive

0:18:32.160 --> 0:18:35.920
<v Speaker 1>claim for for an American fighter, and since the war

0:18:36.160 --> 0:18:39.240
<v Speaker 1>wasn't going well for the Americans, this victory was really

0:18:39.359 --> 0:18:43.080
<v Speaker 1>exaggerated in the media. We've killed the great warrior two Comes.

0:18:43.359 --> 0:18:46.440
<v Speaker 1>Things are going really great, guys. We remember this is

0:18:46.520 --> 0:18:50.680
<v Speaker 1>before our bombardment of Baltimore exactly got some propaganda going.

0:18:50.800 --> 0:18:53.840
<v Speaker 1>And William Henry Harrison went on to become president with

0:18:53.960 --> 0:18:58.200
<v Speaker 1>the popular slogan behind him tipp a Canoe and Tyler too.

0:18:58.880 --> 0:19:02.040
<v Speaker 1>But that's not his best reputation, is it, because he

0:19:02.640 --> 0:19:05.560
<v Speaker 1>is the shortest lived president. Not if you've ever heard

0:19:05.640 --> 0:19:08.800
<v Speaker 1>of two Comes his curse. So people thought that the

0:19:08.880 --> 0:19:11.640
<v Speaker 1>Indians and two Comes to put a curse on Harrison

0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:15.080
<v Speaker 1>for all of his tricky illegal land deals, and that

0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:18.359
<v Speaker 1>was why he died so soon and in office. And

0:19:18.520 --> 0:19:21.800
<v Speaker 1>that's also why presidents elected in a year ending with

0:19:21.960 --> 0:19:25.560
<v Speaker 1>a zero died in office as well. But Ronald Reagan

0:19:25.680 --> 0:19:28.920
<v Speaker 1>broke the curse, although Reagan was shot, so maybe it

0:19:29.040 --> 0:19:32.000
<v Speaker 1>was just the power of the curse was diminishing over time.

0:19:32.160 --> 0:19:35.560
<v Speaker 1>You never know. So two Comes. This legacy has certainly

0:19:35.760 --> 0:19:39.879
<v Speaker 1>endured though even though he lost, he's become somewhat of

0:19:39.920 --> 0:19:44.440
<v Speaker 1>a hero for Americans and for Canadians and a couple

0:19:44.560 --> 0:19:47.200
<v Speaker 1>of Americans who were big fans of Two Come. So

0:19:47.440 --> 0:19:51.160
<v Speaker 1>where William to comes? To Sherman's parents. But I can't

0:19:51.200 --> 0:19:53.840
<v Speaker 1>say anything nice about him because I'm in atlantn So

0:19:54.040 --> 0:19:59.320
<v Speaker 1>we'll end there and go to listener mail. Speaking of

0:19:59.560 --> 0:20:02.240
<v Speaker 1>rising from the fire like a Phoenix, we got a

0:20:02.520 --> 0:20:08.520
<v Speaker 1>lovely postcard dire actually a homemade card from Laura in Phoenix, Arizona,

0:20:09.000 --> 0:20:13.359
<v Speaker 1>and um, she wisely learned that we're more likely to

0:20:13.440 --> 0:20:15.520
<v Speaker 1>read things that we get mailed, and her husband even

0:20:15.600 --> 0:20:19.480
<v Speaker 1>suggested that if she made something handmade, it would double

0:20:19.520 --> 0:20:21.800
<v Speaker 1>her chance. A glitter on it as glitter and it

0:20:21.840 --> 0:20:24.080
<v Speaker 1>says I'm a fan and it has a real picture

0:20:24.119 --> 0:20:26.040
<v Speaker 1>of a fan on it. Sarah's been talking about this

0:20:26.240 --> 0:20:27.959
<v Speaker 1>all day, so this is a big hit with us.

0:20:28.200 --> 0:20:30.800
<v Speaker 1>But she mentioned that as a former art historian, I

0:20:30.960 --> 0:20:34.320
<v Speaker 1>love the podcast about the Isabella Stuart Gardener Museum, and

0:20:34.440 --> 0:20:38.240
<v Speaker 1>I'm hoping for more art history topics and she listed

0:20:38.280 --> 0:20:40.640
<v Speaker 1>off of you. So let us know what you guys think.

0:20:40.680 --> 0:20:44.840
<v Speaker 1>If you're interested in hearing more about art history. Speaking

0:20:44.920 --> 0:20:47.800
<v Speaker 1>of art, we get a lovely postcard from Anna Marie

0:20:47.920 --> 0:20:51.520
<v Speaker 1>that's a panel from a Russian exposition in the Louver

0:20:51.760 --> 0:20:54.840
<v Speaker 1>and she said, I'm in fashion design school in Paris

0:20:55.000 --> 0:20:57.880
<v Speaker 1>and listening to episodes of Stuffy mist in History helps

0:20:57.920 --> 0:21:00.680
<v Speaker 1>him get through long hours of sewing. And then she

0:21:00.800 --> 0:21:04.479
<v Speaker 1>did a request for some old Russia topics, So if

0:21:04.520 --> 0:21:06.879
<v Speaker 1>you have any, please feel free to email us at

0:21:06.960 --> 0:21:10.520
<v Speaker 1>History Podcast at how stuff works dot com. We also

0:21:10.680 --> 0:21:13.920
<v Speaker 1>take suggestions through our Twitter at misst in History and

0:21:14.000 --> 0:21:18.640
<v Speaker 1>our Facebook fan page. For more on this and thousands

0:21:18.680 --> 0:21:21.399
<v Speaker 1>of other topics, visit how stuff works dot com and

0:21:21.480 --> 0:21:23.119
<v Speaker 1>be sure to check out the stuff you missed in

0:21:23.200 --> 0:21:25.560
<v Speaker 1>History Glass blog on the how stuff works dot com

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<v Speaker 1>home page