Born in 1778 at Old Piqua near present day Springfield, he was given the name Lauliwasikau. His father was an important Shawnee chief. Lauliwasikau was one of eight children.

In 1805, he claimed to have a vision and visited the spirit world. There he was told that he should reject all the white ways, including liquor, and return to the pure ways of the Indian. Following the vision, he became known at The Prophet or Tenskwatawa.

The Prophet shared his vision with other Indians and encouraged them to return to the ways of their forefathers. He also encouraged peace among the different Indian tribes. The Prophet also believed that he had power to cure illness and protect Indians from death in battle. His fame grew when he correctly predicted an eclipse of the sun in 1806.

Two years later, the Prophet and his brother, Tecumseh, started a town on the Wabash River (in Indiana). They named the town Tippecanoe but it was more commonly known as Prophetstown. Many Indians came to live there and share the dream of one united Indian nation.

Many settlers were concerned over what they saw as a mass Indian uprising forming on the western frontier. In 1811, Tecumseh was away from Prophetstown and had warned his brother not to fight a battle with the whites while he was gone. The Prophet did not listen and ordered a surprise attack on William Henry Harrison's troops that were stationed nearby. Harrison's troops were prepared for the attack and easily defeated the Indians at the Battle of Tippecanoe. Prophetstown was left unguarded and the American troops burned it to the ground.

After his defeat, the Prophet moved to Canada for several years. He returned to Ohio in 1826 and was soon forced to relocate with other Shawnee west of the Mississippi River. He died in Kansas in 1837.

Text & pic from the Ohio Historical Society Site