Tecumseh was a Shawnee warrior cheif who organized a Native American confederacy in an effort to create an autonomous Indian state and stop white settlement in the Northwest Territory. He firmly believed that all Indian tribes must settle their differences and unite to retain their lands, culture and freedom. Tecumseh led his followers against the United States military in many battles and supported the British during the War of 1812. Tecumseh is most famous for having an Indian resistance to white rule in the Ohio River Valley.