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Tenskwatawa

Tenskwatawa
Artist
Henry Inman, 28 Oct 1801 - 17 Jan 1846
Copy after
Charles Bird King, 26 Sep 1785 - 18 Mar 1862
Sitter
Tenskwatawa, c. 1775 - 1837
Date
c. 1830-33
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Stretcher: 77.2 x 62.9 x 2.5cm (30 3/8 x 24 3/4 x 1")
Frame: 93.7 x 81 x 6cm (36 7/8 x 31 7/8 x 2 3/8")
Topic
Exterior\Landscape
Costume\Dress Accessory\Feather
Costume\Armor\Gorget
Tenskwatawa: Male
Tenskwatawa: Religion and Spirituality\Religious leader
Tenskwatawa: Native American\Native American leader
Tenskwatawa: Native American\Native American advisor
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.82.71
Exhibition Label
Tenskwatawa, the foremost religious leader of the Shawnee, preached a return to traditional ways. Possessed with great oratorical skills, he built a large movement, and in 1808 he established Prophet’s Town in the Indiana Territory. He bitterly opposed territorial governor William Henry Harrison’s Treaty of Fort Wayne (1809), a dubious agreement in which some Native leaders ceded three million acres to the government. Tenskwatawa denied the legitimacy of their claim to the lands and warned Harrison not to allow white settlement on them. Harrison surrounded the Shawnees at Prophet’s Town, demanding they disperse and hand over those guilty of frontier raids. Tenskwatawa attacked on November 7, 1811, promising his warriors that his powers would protect them. Each side suffered heavy casualties in what became known as the Battle of Tippecanoe. When the Shawnees abandoned the field, Harrison burned out Prophet’s Town, claiming victory. Tenskwatawa was discredited and no longer led his people into battle.
Provenance
Peabody Museum, Harvard University; sold through (Hirschl & Adler, New York) to NPG 1982
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view