Chief Joseph Research Paper Outline

The Chief of Realism: Chief Joseph
Thesis: The taking of land by the white settlers affected Chief Joseph, which influenced him to write his surrender speech, “I Will Fight No More Forever.” What was occurring in America at this time was the French and Indian War, or the Seven Years War. This war indicated that the Native Americans were willing to fight to the death in order to protect and keep their land out of the hands of the settlers.
Historical Background: Realism
The Civil War, 1861-1856
The End of Slavery
Westward Expansion
II. Literary Background: Realism
A. Endings and Beginnings
B. The Rise of Realism
C. American Regionalism: Brush Strokes of Local Color
III. Chief Joseph’s Biography
A. Personal Life
B. Literary

Accomplishments
C. Other Events Affecting Literature
IV. Specific Works- “I Will Fight No More Forever”
A. Analysis of Meaning
B. Connections of the Work(s) to the Time Period
C. Effect the work(s) had on American Literature

The Chief of Realism: Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph was among the most well-respected Native Americans in American history. Chief Joseph played a significant role in the era of Realism, which was from 1865 to 1910. One of his specific works, “I Will Fight No More Forever,” reflects on events which were occurring during Chief Joseph’s time period. For example, white settlers have always strived to take over the land of Native Americans and force them to take their tribes elsewhere. The taking of land by the white settlers affected Chief Joseph, which influenced him to write his surrender speech, “I Will Fight No More Forever.” What was occurring in America at this time was the French and Indian War, or the Seven Years War. This war indicated that the Native Americans were willing to fight to the death in order to protect and keep their land out of the hands of the settlers.
The Civil War has been given several names, such as “The Second American Revolution, “The War of the Rebellion,” “The Late Unpleasantness”, etc. Walt Whitman, a splendid poet during the Realism era, whose work was based on the Universal Brotherhood of America, called the Civil War, “The War Against the States.” Over 600,000 soldiers died by the end of the Civil War. Economic devastation was a problem in the South, which inferred to a fragile republic. A major cause of the war was the issue of slavery (Beers and Odell 380). The overall effect of the Civil War was the drastic change that occurred. Many families lost several members of their family that had bravely fought in the war. The soldiers did not die in vain, because they knew that they were doing the greatest deed that anyone can do for America (“The Crossroads of Our Being”). What set the ending for the Civil War was when Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House. Writers during the war used the comfort of writing about the events that were occurring at the time of the Civil War. For Chief Joseph, the Civil War was simply an innuendo for the difficult times that he and his people were soon to face (“American Civil War History”).
The Emancipation Proclamation was established by Lincoln, and it ultimately freed the slaves just in the states that seceded from the Union. In 1865, The 13th Amendment finally ended slavery. The equality and fight for freedom of African Americans had only just begun (Beer sand Odell 380). The Union victory in the Civil War gave millions of slaves their freedom. However, the steps taken for the process of rebuilding the South was a great challenge. This is called the Reconstruction period, which lasted from 1865 to 1877. Andrew Johnson was president during this time period, and he ordered new congress to pass “black codes.” Black codes controlled the work and behavior of former slaves and other blacks as well. The North became outraged over the black codes. Their support for what is known as Presidential Reconstruction decreased, which led to the victory of the Republican Party, specifically the Radical wing. In 1867, during the Radical Reconstruction, African Americans who were given the right to vote were also given the right to have a say in government for the first time in history. Blacks also got the opportunity to run for elections for the state legislatures of the South and the United States Congress. Unfortunately, the Ku Klux Klan was formed. They were determined to restore white supremacy in the South. The Ku Klux Klan reversed the changes by Radical Reconstruction in a violent manner (“American Civil War History”). “With malice toward none; which charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations” (Beers and Odell 389). This quote from Abraham Lincoln means that despite all of the turmoil that the nation has been through, if America works together, everyone can help build the nation back together.
Many people moved west at the beginning of the 1860s. The Homestead Act, which was in effect in 1862, promised 160 acres of land free to anyone. People moved west in hopes of finding their fortunes. A lot of people wanted to be able to experience being farmers, ranchers, and miners on the frontier. Also, nearly fourteen million immigrants moved west from Europe. They had the desire to live the American Dream and come to the United States (Beers and Odell 381). On the other hand, life was not going too well for Native Americans. Land that belonged to several Native American tribes was in jeopardy, as they were forced off of their own land by white settlers who wanted to take over all of their land. Native Americans and the “white man” have always been at a constant battle with each other over land (“New Perspectives on the West”). Chief Joseph has fully experienced the dilemmas that all Native Americans have struggled to face with the settlers.
Realism and Naturalism was elicited by the Civil War. It carried on the domination of American literature. Writers wrote about visions of America. For an example, Willa Cather helped set a reminder for the heroic difficulty to settle the frontier that was brought to an end (Beers and Odell 395). After the war, the workforce skyrocketed. The booming of business was beneficial to the North due to industrial purposes. The increased production of natural resources, such as iron, coal, and oil benefited the industry as well. Overall, America changed from a huge agricultural nation to more of a industrial nation. The influx of immigrants to America made labor inexpensive. They were willing to work extra hard in order to earn money to maintain their new life in America. It was evident that America was improving. However, the increased population caused overcrowded housing and unsanitary conditions. This was the downside to productive America. On the bright side, transportation during the era of Realism improved. The transcontinental railroad, which was established by Stephen Douglas, made the transportation of goods much simpler. This gave the North and South easy access for trade (“The Rise of Realism”).
Realism is the belief that each person can control their own individual desires.

The philosophy of Realism is known as non-transcendental. Non-transcendental is not the focus of the intuitive basis of knowledge as independent of experience, whereas transcendental is just that. The belief of Realism is based on people’s ability to control their own individual desires (Penrose). The authors of Realism exploited the larger-than-life heroes in their work. These writers did not use romance simply for entertaining purposes, but for a revelation of the truths that were hidden in a realistic story. A new generation of writers, known as realists, came about after the Civil War. Realists are writers who had the intentions of achieving the common course of ordinary life (Beers and Odell 389). They believed in human rights and the abolition of slavery. Idealists have a firm belief in making things the way they should be. In other words, they believed in doing what’s morally right. (“The Rise of Realism”). They wrote about subjects such as the increased population of cities, factories that were drastically substituting farmlands, and also about the lives of people who are far from idealized characters—poor factory workers and untrustworthy politicians (Beers and Odell

391).
Regionalism is a branch of Realism. Regionalism is literature that puts emphasis on a particular geographic setting. It also puts use to the manners and speech of all of the people that live in that particular area. An example of an early Regionalist is Harriet Beecher Stowe. Stowe is best known for her novel that depicted the harsh life of African Americans who endured slavery, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Regionalists recorded the peculiarities of customs, speech, and human nature in the diverse parts of a rapidly, more extensive nation. Especially in the South, Regionalism spread rapidly during the 1920s and 1930s. Even though Regional writers mainly made a great effort to be realistic in their depiction of manners and speech patterns, they were sometimes unrealistic. Regionalists were also sentimental in their depiction of character and social environment. Southern writer, Thomas Nelson Page, wrote popular novels about life in the South before the Civil War (Beers and Odell 391). Mark Twain is a great example of a Regional writer who took Realism beyond local bounds. Mark Twain’s writing style is based on realistic, typical, everyday American speech. He was known for his Regional humorist reputation. Twain then changed to a writer whose perception of the people in the world had become more satirical. Mark Twain’s best novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), provides a perfect description of pre-Civil War life (Beers and Odell 392). Realism was not just a literary technique, it was a way of speaking the truth and doing away with old conventions. Twain’s style made Americans appreciate their national voice (“The Rise of Realism”).
Chief Joseph was born in 1840, in Wallowa Valley, which is now Northeastern Oregon.

At birth, he was given the name Hinmatóowyalahtq’it, pronounced [Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt], but he is widely known as Chief Joseph the Younger. He was given the name Chief Joseph because his father adapted the Christian name, Joseph after his baptism. Chief Joseph was of the Nez Percé Native American Tribe. After his father died, he took his place as Chief. Chief Joseph had to deal with a problem that his father, commonly known as Old Chief Joseph, or Joseph the Elder, left behind. White settlers attempted to take control of Chief Joseph and his tribe’s land. He told the white settlers to never approach the land of the Nez Percé tribe again. When Chief Joseph and his people were forced off their land, he led them several miles to safety, which was at the Canadian border. His act was known as a brilliant military defeat. He and his tribe went to war. Chief Joseph lost some of his people that were critical to the Nez Percé war. “Looking Glass” was one of the chiefs who fought hard for his tribe (“New Perspectives on the

West”).
Old Chief Joseph signed a treaty before he died. The treaty was signed to the United States and it gave over some of the tribe’s land in order to keep Wallowa Valley Sacred. In 1877, Chief Joseph and the rest of the Nez Percé were forced to go live on a reservation. Refusing to go, Chief Joseph led 800 of his people to Canada on a freedom march. As they were approaching further into their expedition, they ran into some trouble. They had to fight the United States Army all throughout their 1100 mile journey. Chief Joseph and his people ended up getting trapped just forty miles from Canada. After the fifth day of fighting, the 431 people that remained of the tribe were brutally beaten. Chief Joseph was beginning to get frustrated and tired of fighting. With that being said, all of the war occurrences have led up to his literary accomplishment. Chief Joseph surrendered, which was the end of all of the violence (“New Perspectives on the West”). Chief Joseph made his surrender speech, “I Will Fight No More Forever”, on October 5, 1877, at Bear’s Paw Battleground (McCloskey). Chief Joseph was a man that was admired by many. Although Chief Joseph’s attempt to make peace between the white settlers was unsuccessful, he was admired for his courageousness (“Chief Joseph,” Indians).
In 1863, white settlers discovered gold. They wanted the Nez Percé tribe to sign a new treaty to give up their land in which they had found the gold on. Chief Joseph’s father was furious at the settlers. His anger got the best of him, to the point where he tore up his Bible, diverting from his Christianity and went back to the cultural ways of his people, the Nez Percé. Old Joseph refused to sign the treaty. Before he died, he told Chief Joseph, “This country holds your father’s body. Never sell the bones of your father and your mother.” The quote from Old Joseph to Chief Joseph infers that Old Joseph wants his son to never let anyone take over the land of the Nez Percé, because it has always been their land and it always will be (“Chief Joseph,” Indians).
Chief Joseph’s surrender speech expresses how he does not wish to continue fighting. It also expressed his sadness for the loss of some of his people (McCloskey). “I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead. Toohoolhoolzote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say, “Yes” or “No.” He who led the young men [Olikut] is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are — perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever” (“New Perspectives on the West”). What Chief Joseph means is that as of that day that he made his surrender speech, he will not fight anymore (“Chief Joseph,” Indians).
Chief Joseph’s surrender speech reflected on what the time period was like. White settles have always had the desire to take over the land of Native Americans (“Chief Joseph,” ecusd7). Chief Joseph tried his hardest to keep the peace between his Nez Percé tribe and the “white man.” However, the men did not back down— they continued to try and take over the Nez Percé land. Chief Joseph and his people fought several battles before finally getting captured and being ford to live on a reservation. Chief Joseph was a great leader and never gave up on his tribe. Native Americans and white men have always been enemies of each other. This was highly significant in Chief Joseph’s time period (“Chief Joseph,” ecusd7).
Eloquent speech was an important quality to Native Americans, especially in Chief Joseph’s surrender speech. Chief Joseph wrote a magazine article two years after he gave his surrender speech at Bear’s Paw. He wanted whites to see al Native Americans as civilized people, rather than animals or savages. The article shaped the public’s opinion about Native American’s. Chief Joseph represented a side of Native Americans that was very seldom seen.
To conclude, because of Chief Joseph Native Americans were no longer depicted as savages, nor uneducated, nor violent (“Chief Joseph,” ecusd7). He showed that Native Americans have morals and laws by which they live, and that in the the Nez Percé religion, they have beliefs about the afterlife that are similar to Christianity, just like the white settlers. Chief Joseph had always firmly believed that if you treated all men the same, there would be peace (“Chief Joseph,” Indians). With all of that being said, Chief Joseph showed the “white man” that Native Americans are no different than they are, even though they are two worlds apart.