Helen Hunt Jackson Essay Research Paper A

9 September 2017

Helen Hunt Jackson Essay, Research Paper

A Century Of Dishonor, a Triumph or Tragedy?

The writer Helen Hunt Jackson had hoped for a victory over the

mistreatment, maltreatment, and chiefly the deceases of apparently guiltless

Native Americans with her novel, A Century Of Dishonor. However, when

the difficult cold world set in, her novel was simply a little calamity in the

conflict for the Native Americans that unhappily went unnoticed.

? What pact that the Whites of all time made with us ruddy work forces have they

maintain? Not one. When I was a male child the Sioux owned the universe. The Sun

rose and put in their lands. They sent 10,000 Equus caballus work forces to conflict. Where

are the warriors to-day? Who slew them? Where are our lands? Who

owns them? What white adult male can state I of all time stole his money? Yet they

state I am a stealer & # 8230 ; . What jurisprudence have I broken? Is it incorrect for me to love my

ain? Is it wicked in me because my tegument is red ; because I am a Sioux ;

because I was born where my male parents lived ; because I would decease for my

people and my state? ( qtd. in Carruth and Ehrlich 56 ) .

To compose about the writer, one must foremost understand why she felt so

strongly for this sensitive issue. ? Helen Hunt Jackson began composing

professionally at age 35. She foremost became involved with the predicament of the

American Indian in 1879 after go toing a talk lighting the hapless

life conditions and mistreatment the Ponca folk was undergoing.

Jackson became enamored with this issue, she efficaciously wielded her

composing accomplishments to light the predicament of the Ponca? s to the general populace

through the publication of legion in-depth letters to the editors of

many major eastern newspapers. She furthered her cause by composing

personal letters to prominence such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and

Oliver Wendell Holmes and became to a great extent involved in literary sparring

lucifers with the Secretary of the Interior and others who disagreed with

her cause. Her campaign was successful in obtaining federal resoluteness of

many of the issues confronting the Poncas? ( Moon 1 ) .

To compose of the novel A Century Of Dishonor, one must understand

from which it was written. ? This is a elaborate history of the last six old ages

of Jackson? s life ( 1879-1885 ) , when she struggled to advance the rights of

American Indians displaced and dispossessed by the U. S. authorities?

( Mathes ) . ? This involvement climaxed when she heard Ponca captain

Standinng Bear and Suzette? Bright Eyes? La Flesche talk in Boston in

1879 on the agony of many homeless Plains Indians. As Odell notes,

Jackson? s was a? sudden and devouring interest. ? For the first clip, she

identified herself with a national reform motion, non holding written for

the causes of black-white equality, moderation, and right to vote & # 8230 ; . Jackson

became determined to compose a nonfiction book that would expose the

authorities? s ill-treatment of its wards and plead for America to

rectify its record. Her run to elicit public sentiment culminated in

the publication in 1881 of? A Century Of Dishonor? , a papers of some

four hundred 50 pages whose major thesis is that the Indian policy of the

United States defied the basic rules of justness? ( Estes 246-247 ) . Helen

Hunt Jackson had determined to make a full-dress survey at the New York

Astoor Library, where she found more than adequate information to show

that cognition to the 1880 Congress. ? She presents her instance in

emotional narrations of the history of seven folks, the Capital of wyomings,

Cherokees, Delawares, Nez Perces, Poncass, Sioux, and Winnebagoes,

and on the slaughters of Indians by Whites? ( Estes 247 ) . Gratuitous to state,

the 1800 Congress was non interested. ? However, the prisoner of war

erful Indian

Rights Association was formed within a twelvemonth of its publication? ( Estes 247 ) .

Not merely was the information publiced, President Chester Arthur

appointed Helen Hunt Jackson as a commissionner of the Indian Affairs in

1882.

? To turn out all this it is merely necessary to analyze the history of any one

of the Indian folk. I propose to give in the undermentioned chapters simply

outline studies of the history of a few of them, non come ining more into

inside informations than necessary to demo the repeated broken religion of the United

States authorities toward them. A full history of the wrongs they have

suffered at the custodies of the governments, military and civil, and besides of the

citizens of this state, it would take old ages to compose and volumes to keep?

( Jackson 29 ) .The novel was so reviewed in the New York Times 16

old ages after her decease. ? Of this narrative it is non necessary to state anything

here. This edition is printed in big type on good paper and provided

with the illustrations -most of them remarkably good, made under Mrs.

Jackson? s oculus by Henry Sandham, who besides contributes an introductory

note? ( New York Times 658 ) .

? ? A Century Of Dishonor? limelights the short approachs of the

authorities? s Indian policy and dutifully enter the inhumane intervention

these folks have received. Jackson predicted shortly before her decease in

1885 that? A Century Of Dishonor? and her other Indian Hagiographas would be

here most of import part in life. Unfortunately, small overall reform

was accomplished during her life-time. As she predicted, nevertheless, ? A

Century Of Dishonor? has served good in rousing the general populace to

the quandary of the American Indian, fostering Helen Hunt Jackson? s

cause into the hereafter over 100 old ages past her decease? ( Vick 1 ) .

In decision, gratuitous to state, Helen Hunt Jackson? s novel Angstrom

Century Of Dishonor was by far a victory for her but unhappily an unknown

calamity for the Native Americans.

***Works Cited Type on another sheet******* I made a 92 on this paper

Carruth, Gorton and Eugene Ehrlich. The Harper Book of American Quotations. New York: Harper & A ;

Row, 1988. 56. -Reference

Jackson, Helen Hunt. A Century of Dishonor. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1995.

-Primary

Mathes, Valerie Sherer. Helen Hunt Jackson and Her Indian Reform Legacy.

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ou.edu/oupress/books_fall97/helen.htm ( June 17, 1998 ) . Internet

Moon, Anita Cheek. Anita Cheek Moon, Member Reviewers? Consortium Carrollton, Georgia.

hypertext transfer protocol: //members.aol.com/theoldways/reviews.htm # Jackson ( September 9.1998 ) . -Choice

Ranta, Tami M.. Helen Hunt Jackson. American Writers for Children Before 1900. Ed Glenn E. Estes.

Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1985. 241-250. -Choice

Revival of? H. H. ? New York Times. October 7, 1905. 658. -Periodical

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