Book: Mr Jefferson's Hammer (William Henry Harrison and the origins of American Indian Policy)

Author: Robert M Owens

Review: I thought I would read something different.  This took me quite awhile, because it is essentially someone's research paper put into book form.  William Henry Harrison is best known for being the first president to die in office, and for only serving 31 days.  This looks at his earlier history.  One that is interesting to me, because it takes place mostly in Vincennes.  Harrison was Govenor of the Indiana Territory, appointed by Jefferson.  I also found it interesting to read some of Indiana's early famous citizens, after whom many of Indiana's towns and counties are named.  Harrison was the son of a Virginia plantation owner.  This made him appreciate aristocracy and class.  While Indiana was technically a slave free territory, Harrison passed several acts to get around this.  His reasoning being that without slavery, Indiana would not be settled quickly enough to become a state.   While this may have been true, it also caused Illinois to request being considered a different territory.  Harrison also had some questionable policies towards Indians.  Getting them to sign over large portions of their land.  Harrison's biggest claim to fame, became defeating the Prohet at Battleground.  I have been to the monument there.  The actual story is less grand than the monument.  The Prohet's brother Tecumseh was a great warrior.  The Prophet had been a loser, but had gotten a name through religous fervor.  He cause some uprisings and murders among the Miami's.  Some time later, Tecumseh went through Vincennes on the way to New Orleans, and asked Harrison not to make any trouble with his brother.  Which of course, Harrison ignored and launched a full scale attack.  Several important American's were lost at the battle, and it led to more Indian retaliation.  This in turn led to the war of 1812.  But Harrison became a war hero, and eventually became president.