Which person is associated with the Battle of the Thames?

• A. John Tyler
• B. Martin Van Buren
• C. William Henry Harrison
• D. James Madison

Answer: (C)

William Henry Harrison is the figure most closely tied to the Battle of the Thames. In the War of 1812, he led American forces in the Northwest and won a decisive victory over a British-backed Native American coalition at Moraviantown in Ontario in October 1813. A major result of this battle was the death of Tecumseh, the Shawnee leader who had united many tribes against American expansion; his death weakened the Native confederacy and helped shift the frontier’s balance in favor of the United States. The other names were prominent politicians who were not military leaders in this engagement.