Helen Hunt Jackson Essay Research Paper A
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
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