“A WELL-RESEARCHED EXPOSÉ OF INDIAN MISTREATMENT”: FIRST EDITION OF HELEN HUNT JACKSON'S SEMINAL A CENTURY OF DISHONOR, INSCRIBED BY AUTHOR HELEN HUNT JACKSON TO RENOWNED PREACHER AND REFORMER HENRY WARD BEECHER

[JACKSON, Helen Hunt]. A Century of Dishonor. A Sketch of the United States Government's Dealings with Some of the Indian Tribes. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1881. Octavo, original gilt-stamped brown cloth. $8800.

First edition of this "impassioned account" of the United States government’s crimes against indigenous communities, written to raise awareness and generate a push for legislative reform and ethical change in society at large, inscribed in the year of publication by the author, "The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, with the compliments of the Author. February 1881."

"In 1879, while visiting in Boston, Jackson attended a reception for representatives of the Ponca and Omaha Indian tribes who were touring the East in an attempt to arouse public indignation over the confiscation of their tribal lands by the U.S. government. Jackson had never shown any interest in reform movements, nor had her experiences in the West sparked any concern for Indian rights, but suddenly she was transformed… Her dedication to the cause of justice for Indian tribes resulted in a well-researched exposé of Indian mistreatment published in 1881 as A Century of Dishonor" (DNB). "Her greatest achievement was her pioneering work for Indian rights [A Century of Dishonor]… a copy of which Jackson presented to every U.S. Congressman. This is an impassioned account of the various tribes since white contact, beginning with a discussion on the rights of sovereignty and occupancy, and ending with massacres of native peoples. It shocked the public, and within a year, the powerful Indian Rights Association was born, followed by the Dawes Act of 1884" (Blain and Grundy). A Century of Dishonor also served as an inspiration to later activists. Organizations including the Indian Rights Association and the Women's National Indian Association relied heavily on the work in their speeches. With three leaves of advertisements. BAL 10444. Henry Ward Beecher, the recipient of this copy, was, after the death of his father Lyman Beecher, the most famous preacher in America and a noted social reformer. A member of the Beecher clan—which in addition to Henry and his father Lyman included his sisters, writers Harriet Beecher Stowe and Catharine Beecher—Beecher in 1847 became the founding pastor of the Congregationalist Plymouth Church in Boston, which, under his influence, became a center of antislavery activity. His sermons were eagerly reported on by the New York press, giving him influence across the country. Beecher continued to advocate for progressive causes and progressive religion for the rest of his life, championing women's rights in addition to abolition and a version of Christianity that emphasized God's love. Beecher and Jackson shared another connection: Beecher graduated from Amherst College in 1834, where Jackson's father was a professor of Latin, Greek and philosophy (although Jackson would have only been 4 years old when Beecher graduated). Early owner stamp to title page. Small number slip on front pastedown.

Mild rubbing to cloth, interior fine. A near-fine copy with an exceptional association.