An account of early American settler efforts to claim Shawnee territories in Ohio, Kentucky, and other states traces how the Shawnee tribe met American forces on equal terms before being forced to fight in order to salvage its cultural and political independence. "With the courage and resilience embodied by their legendary leader Tecumseh, the Shawnees waged a war of territorial and cultural resistance for half a century. Noted historian Colin G. Calloway details the political and legal battles and the bloody fighting on both sides for possession of the Shawnees' land, while imbuing historical figures such as warrior chief Tecumseh, Daniel Boone, and Andrew Jackson with all their ambiguity and complexity. More than defending their territory, the Shawnees went to war to preserve a way of life and their own deeply held vision of what their nation should be." -- Publisher's description

The Shawnees and their neighbors -- Introduction -- The greatest travelers in America -- Taking on the British Empire -- The travails of Cornstalk -- Neglected like bastards -- Blue Jacket and the Northwestern Confederation -- Black Hoof and the Wapakoneta way -- The visions of Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh -- Removals and survivals -- Afterword.