Summary

Although she is now known as Helen Hunt Jackson. She actually wrote under the names of either Helen Hunt or Helen Jackson (using the names of her first or second husband). Other names she used were H.H., Saxe Holm, and anonymously in the No Name series published by Roberts Brothers of Boston.

Helen Hunt Jackson would have been a remarkable woman no matter when she was born. Given the time she lived and her championship of an unpopular cause she deserves even more accolades. Not only for her success as an author, but also her ability to overcome adversity. In spite of the fact that she experienced numerous personal tragedies and suffered from ill health for much of her life, she left behind a legacy of truly worthy accomplishments. It would have been easy for her to emulate her friend, the poet Emily Dickinson, and withdraw from life. Instead she made the best of her circumstances and selflessly fought to improve the situation for those less fortunate. The losses she endured helped to make her a more empathetic person and they served as a catalyst for her creative energies.

As a woman who had little sympathy for women who took up causes, she took on one with a vengeance. The last years of her life were dedicated to the cause of justice for Native Americans. Her energies, at times risking her own health, were focused on restitution for the injustices they had experienced. She deserves to be recognized as one of the noteworthy heroes in American history.

Her success as an author can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, she was an entertaining and talented writer. Secondly, she had friends and acquaintances who were among the elite of American literary figures in the latter part of the 19th century. Thirdly, she was active during an advantageous period of publishing history, as printing costs had been greatly reduced with technological improvements. Finally, the population had become much more literate than in the past, thus increasing potential readership. All of these factors contributed to the opening up of opportunities for writers, especially women, that had never been seen before.

Author - Death

Helen Hunt Jackson died of cancer on August 8, 1885 in California. Even as she lay on her deathbed her thoughts were still focused on the plight of Native Americans, as evidenced by the note she wrote below (Odell, p 219, 1939):

August 8, 1885

To Grover Cleveland, President of the United States

Dear Sir:

From my deathbed I send you a message of heartfelt thanks for what you have already done for the Indians. I ask you to read my "Century of Dishonor." I am dying happier for the belief I have that it is your hand that is destined to strike the first steady blow toward lifting this burden of infamy from our country and righting the wrongs of the Indian race.

With respect and gratitude,

Helen Jackson

Her husband brought her remains back to her home in Colorado and she was buried at Cheyenne Mountain (see photo above), her favorite view in Colorado Springs. However, later on she was re-buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs.

Author - Amherst

Helen Maria Fiske was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on October 14, 1830. Both of her parents, Nathan and Deborah Fiske, were from New England. Her father was a professor of philosophy and language at Amherst College, in addition to being a Congregational clergyman.

The Fiskes had a difficult time understanding their lively and adventurous daughter. Helen's younger sister, Ann, was a much more docile, obedient child and easier for her parents to deal with. A couple of comments made by her mother reinforce this, "I cannot play with Helen so well as with Ann" and "Ann does not require the vigilance Helen does" (May, p 4, 1987). One memorable anecdote illustrating this further is when she wandered off as a six year old with a friend. Her frantic parents finally located her over four miles from home. Instead of being sorry about wandering off she told her parents what a wonderful adventure it was. Her father's response was to give her a whipping.

Even though she loved her mother lesson time could be difficult. She was the opposite of her sister when it came to learning as well. As Deborah wrote, "Helen learns very well, but I do not drive her very much to make her very literary--she is quite inclined to question the author of everything: the Bible, she says, does not feel as if it were true"(May, p 7, 1987). This must have been quite a challenge for the religious Deborah.

A somber mood was to come to the house though when her mother became unwell. She had developed tuberculosis and died when Helen was just twelve years old. As a result, the sisters became separated. The younger Ann would live with relatives and Helen went off to boarding school. Nathan had to give up his teaching career because he suffered from tuberculosis too. Two years after the death of his wife his final wish was to visit the Holy Land. He died while there, his burial was on Mount Zion.

The last school she attended was in New York. It was called Abbott Institute. She loved living in New York and did well at the school, becoming quite the scholar. After her graduation she even received an invitation to teach there. However, her plans of remaining in the city were changed when her maternal grandfather, who was her financial guardian, made plans for her to stay over the summer with a family friend in Albany. She was to stay with Reverend Palmer and his family, not something she was looking forward to. Her visit there was to be a turning point in her life, with her first romance.