Leadership is an important aspect of life that defines the future of society. In most cases, a leader would come to fight for the rights of the people. This happens even at the cost of declaring resistance and war against the perceived enemies. In American history, certain Tecumseh, a Native American leader, and Andrew Jackson, the former president of the United States stand out as leaders who championed the rights of the people they led. Their leadership styles were different and were mostly influenced by what would work for the best interests of their people. These two leaders came from different American societies and were forced to lead their people in battles that were meant to help free their subjects. This essay argues that leadership styles and decisions are highly influenced by the interest of the subjects.
Tecumseh was a wise chief of the Shawnee Indians in the early 1800s. This was the period when the white settlement had started in the North American continent. He found himself fighting the Americans at age 14 alongside his brother, something that made him gather courage in the quest to help his people. In his resolve, no more traditional land was to be taken away by the Americans. This made him a courageous leader who decided to go to any lengths in order to save his Traditional Indian territory against white settlement. His courage was also seen in his continued resistance against the Americans who held different social and political ideologies. Moreover, the Americans had better fighting weapons than the natives. However, he led his people to continue fighting the Americans.
While the Americans continued to occupy more of the native territories through treaties, Tecumseh disagreed with such decisions, terming them invalid. According to him, giving away any part of the traditional territory could only be done through the consent of all the Native people and not a few representatives. This made him a prominent leader who was concerned of the plight of the local people. Another outstanding leadership quality was manifested in his quest to encourage all the native communities to unite under one political confederacy and fight for their rights. According to him, the formation of a pan-Native American Confederation was the only way of stopping the continued occupation of their traditional territories by the white settlers. He joined hands with the British rulers who did not like the advancement of the Americans westwards. Tecumseh was respected by American enemies for releasing captive Americans. He was a humanitarian leader who never believed in torturing his enemies. Even though he was killed in the war before achieving his goals, his people continued to admire his courage and what he stood for.
Andrew Jackson was another American historical leader who later became United States President in 1828. He was involved in military activities in his teens, something that led to his capture alongside his brother by the British Army. His brother and mother later died as a result of the war with the British, which led to his hatred for British rule. He was later appointed the commander of Tennessee militia in the early 1800s, rising to be the major general in 1802. One important engagement occurred when Tecumseh, chief of the Shawnee Indians led his people in attacking the white settlers in northern Ohio. The attack led to the Creek War, a battle that Jackson won while commanding the Tennessee militia, U.S regulars, Cherokee, and Choctaw warriors that made the American forces.
Bravery is a component of Andrew Jackson’s political and military leadership. He was never afraid to face any challenges. When attacked, he could simply mobilize his soldiers and face the enemy. This made him emerge victorious in most of the battles he led. One of the things that Jackson is remembered for is his quest to displace the Native Indians to give way for white settlement. In this attempt, he used military power to push the Indian communities into signing treaties that allowed the American settlers to occupy traditional territories. This type of leadership contrasts that of Tecumseh who disagreed with it. He opposed the forceful treaty terming it as void since all community members were never involved in it. On the same note, unlike Jackson, Tecumseh went to all the Indian tribes convincing them of the need to unite under one political leadership. He is also associated with Indian removal in the 1820s when he was the president of the United States where the natives were massively displaced from their ancestral territories through a policy.
He achieved a lot during his time because of his strong and aggressive type of leadership. After winning the Creek War and forcing the Indians to give away part of their territories for settlement, he was promoted to higher military ranks by the U.S administration. He was strict with the people who worked under him, demanding high levels of loyalty from them. This aspect of his leadership made him ruthless in dealing with his enemies and subjects who never showed loyalty. This is different from the humanitarian qualities exhibited by Tecumseh. Nevertheless, Jackson was known as a democratic leader who won a large following of the Americans during his days. He stands out as the first U.S President to invite the public to his inauguration at the White House. His popularity was also seen among the troops he commanded during his military days. His courage and bravery made him achieve many things during his days. Tecumseh’s courage and polarity is also evident; however, he died before achieving his goals.