Date of Award
8-1997
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
History
First Advisor
Dr. Donald Fixico
Second Advisor
Dr. Benjamin Wilson
Third Advisor
Dr. Linda Borish
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Native American resistance to American expansion during the War of 1812 occurred in the wake of a significant spiritual revitalization movement in the Native community. The extent to which this spiritual movement prompted Native resistance has never been fully explored or developed. Traditional theories maintain that once the revitalization ended, a secular resistance movement began -one that was fueled by British support. The objective in this thesis is not only to establish the connection between the Natives' religion and their efforts to resist, but it is also to determine what factors initially gave rise to the revitalization movement.
My findings indicate that no dichotomy existed between the Indians' spiritual goals and their war effort. Moreover, this revitalization movement came about from Native opposition to the spiritual teachings of white missionaries. The revitalization movement provided the basis for the pan-Indian alliance, and the confederacy viewed the War of 1812 as a holy war, one fought for spiritual goals and under supernatural guidance.
Recommended Citation
Willig, Timothy D., "The Spirit of the Great Lakes Native Confederacy, 1805-1813" (1997). Masters Theses. 3893.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/3893