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Blue Jacket

Origin: Ohio Lands
(c. 1737– 1811)

Heroic Values: Achievement, Courage, Perseverance, Vision, Wisdom

Background

Blue Jacket received his name for the blue miltary coat he wore - its arms ripped off for ease of movement. His birth name was Sepettekenathe, Big Rabbit and he took on the name of Waweyapiersenwaw or Whirlpool when he became an adult. He became a great leader for the Shawnee tribes - a predecessor to Tecumseh.

Blue Jacket fought for the preservation of land rights for the Shawnee against the Americans. He fought with the British in the Revolutionary War and when they lost, began working on assembling an army with Chief Little Turtle. This army beat Harmar's Army and defeated a large American force at the battle of St. Clair's Defeat - the worst defeat ever suffered by the United States against Native Americans. George Washington reacted by training a professional army for two years and sending General Anthony Wayne to lead them in the Battle of Fallen Timbers where Blue Jacket was defeated and forced to sign the Treat of Greenville in 1795.

Blue Jacket was a contemporary of Daniel Boone and numerous stories tell of interactions between them, often suggesting a friendship. Blue Jacket became a trader after making his peace with the Americans and helped Tecumseh come to power as the new Shawnee leader who fought for land rights.

Sources

Wikipedia
The online encyclopedia

Blue Jacket
The family website