Margaret+Fuller's+Admiration+of+the+QCA+and+Black+Hawk

Original Author: Johanna Johnson, ENG400 FL10 Revision Author: Rachel Thomas ENG 206 SP11
 * Margaret Fuller’s Admiration for the QCA and Black Hawk **

 Margaret Fuller was a fascinating woman who contributed greatly to the American Transcendental movement. Being a female in a man’s world was hard enough in her day, but to have works published in newspapers as big as the New York Times was a near-impossible feat! As a well-educated woman with a strong mind and a courageous heart Margaret Fuller spent time in many places throughout her life. In 1843 she traveled out West and wrote an account of this trip titled //Summer on the Lakes//. In this trip Fuller visited Wheaton, West Chicago, Geneva, parts of Dekalb county, Pawpaw Grove, Dixon, Oregon, and Kishwaukee. She wrote of her admiration for this unsettled country and the people she encountered there. Fuller writes in //Summer on the Lakes//: “But after I had rode out, and seen the flowers and seen the sun set with that calmness seen only in the prairies, and the cattle winding slowly home to their homes in the “island groves”--- peacefulest of sights--- I began to love because I began to know the scene, and shrank no longer from the ‘encircling vastness’. It is always thus with the new form of life; we must learn to look at it by its own standard. At first, no doubt my accustomed eye kept saying, if the mind did not, What! no distant mountains? What, no valleys? But after a while I would ascend the roof of the house where we lived, and pass many hours, needing no sight but the moon reigning in the heavens, or starlight falling upon the lake, till all the lights were out in the island grove of men beneath my feet, and felt nearer heaven that there was nothing but this lovely, still reception on the earth; no towering mountains, no deep tree shadows, nothing but plain earth and water bathed in light” (//Summer// 34).

Margaret Fuller shows throughout her account the admiration she has and beauty she finds in this section of Illinois that she travels through. She also wrote what was considered the first feminist manifesto //Woman in the Nineteenth Century// (Margaret Fuller Wikipedia Page). Margaret Fuller was also part of the largely male-dominated American Transcendental movement and helped pave the way for more women to follow suit. Fuller also traveled to many places overseas. She found herself in Italy for quite some time. There she met her future husband and had her only child. Sadly, her legacy was cut short. Fuller, along with her husband and child died on her return voyage (Margaret Fuller Wikipedia Page).

 Margaret Fuller was involved with the Quad City and Chicago area on one of her trips out West. Fuller found this part of the country to be delightful. In her book, __,__ she mentioned how beautiful the Northern area of Illinois was. When describing Illinois as a whole, Fuller said “that it bears the character of a country which has been inhabited by a nation skilled like the English in all the ornamental arts of life, especially in landscape gardening” (Fuller 32). Also, on her trip to Springfield she remarked that the trees in Illinois “are for once tall enough and fair to look upon, and one unvarying carpet of the tenderest green covers these marvelous fields” (Fuller 34). No matter where Fuller went in Illinois she found something she liked. Of particular interest to people who live in the Quad Cities should be her focus on Northern Illinois. Of the Rock River she declared, “This beautiful stream flows full and wide over a bed of rocks, traversing a distance of near two hundred miles, to reach the Mississippi” (Fuller 31). It was obvious that she really enjoyed Northern Illinois the most due to the language she used to describe the area. The Rock River is one of the most beautiful parts of the Quad Cities next to the mighty Mississippi herself.

A few of the places where Fuller visited for just a short time became places of prolonged interest for her. For example she stopped briefly in Belvedere to stay in the American House, a hotel that was considered to be one of the finest hotels between Chicago and Galena, but ended up with a prolonged financial interest in a school there. The Newton Academy was run by Margaret Fuller’s brother Arthur B. Fuller for about a year. It is suspected that Margaret set down the initial cost for the school for her recently graduated younger brother who then sold it to relatives of Rev. Augustus H. Conant whose family Margaret Fuller had stayed with on her journey. She describes Conant as “just such a teacher as is wanted in this region, familiar enough with the habits of those he addresses to come home to their experience and their wants; earnest and enlightened enough to draw the important inferences from the life of every day (//Summer// 37).

Rev. Augustus H. Conant was the pastor of a Unitarian Church in Geneva. Conant became interested in the Unitarians after reading a copy of the “Western Messenger” published by James Freeman Clarke. (Illinois State Historical Society 19). It can be assumed that Fuller came to know Conant through Clarke whom Fuller was close friends with. Clarke and Fuller often wrote letters to one another and kept in touch, often talking of what they were studying and doing with their lives. In one letter Clarke wrote to Fuller while on his own journey down the Mississippi River he writes; “I preached a sermon yesterday, exhorting my fellowpassengers to consider and confess themselves strangers and pilgrims on the earth, as well as on the Mississippi River. That was sound doctrine, but did not quite convince my own mind. When traveling on the river, I am quite willing to put up with bad company and accommodations for a time, but I do not succumb so quietly to a like necessity in that other journey…. Oh, grumbling religious, or grumbling irreligious, man, grumble no longer, but fight //now// the good fight of faith; lay hold now, with both hands, of eternal life, and in the midst of the Finite discover an Infinite; begin Eternity, while yet shrouded in the mists of Time” (Clarke 110). Clarke also worked alongside Ralph Waldo Emerson in writing the life of Fuller and editing some of her works after her death in 1850.

Fuller also visited the town of Oregon where her uncle William Williams Fuller practiced law. Her uncle died in the year that she visited Oregon and nothing is said of him in her book //Summer on the Lakes//. While in Oregon Fuller visited several areas which then made them famous in her time. These include “Ganymede Springs” and “Island Number One” also referred to as Margaret Fuller’s Island Illinois State Historical Society 18). While visiting the town or Oregon Fuller writes; At Oregon, the beauty of the scene was of even a more sumptuous character than at our former "stopping place." Here swelled the river in its boldest course, interspersed by halcyon isles on which nature had lavished all her prodigality in tree, vine, and flower, banked by noble bluffs, three hundred feet high, their sharp ridges as exquisitely definite as the edge of a shell; their summits adorned with those same beautiful trees, and with buttresses of rich rock, crested with old hemlocks, which wore a touching and antique grace amid the softer and more luxuriant vegetation. Lofty natural mounds rose amidst the rest, with the same lovely and sweeping outline, showing everywhere the plastic power of water, — water, mother of beauty, which, by its sweet and eager flow, had left such lineaments as human genius never dreamt of (//Summer// 51).

While visiting Illinois Fuller often thought of the Indians that were driven out of their country by the white men who then inhabited the beautiful land. She wonders how the Indians could have let the white men take their land from them and wonders how much they must miss being their own masters in the beautiful landscape. She reflects on how she feels when observing the area; The aspect of this country was to me enchanting, beyond any I have ever seen, from its fullness of expression, its bold and impassioned sweetness. Here the flood of emotion has passed over and marked everywhere its course by a smile. The fragments of rock touch it with a wildness and liberality which give just the needed relief. I should never be tired here, though I have elsewhere seen country of more secret and alluring charms, better calculated to stimulate and suggest. Here the eye and heart are filled. How happy the Indians must have been here! It is not long since they were driven away, and the ground, above and below, is full of their traces (//Summer// 52).

Fuller could hardly tear herself away from Illinois. Fuller said that as she was leaving Illinois “feelings of regret and admiration” came over her “as in parting with a friend whom [people] have not had the good sense to prize and study, while hours of association, never perhaps to return, were granted” (Fuller 68).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Another detail of Margaret Fuller’s visit to Illinois is that she became interested with Black Hawk and the Black Hawk War of 1832. “The Black Hawk War of 1832 marks a pivotal time when aboriginal settlement and political control within the upper Illinois River Valley and the Lead Mining District was eliminated by force” (Bird 45). Abraham Lincoln was even impacted by this event. Lincoln described the Black Hawk War as being a “shaping circumstance in his life” (Bird 45). The impact the event made on Fuller was recorded in her book //Sumer on the Lakes//. After describing the beauty of the Rock River, Fuller goes on to tell us that it is “the finest region of Illinois, and the scene of some of the [then] latest romance of Indian warfare” (Fuller 32). Fuller continued to say “to these beautiful regions Black Hawk returned with his band ‘to pass the summer,’ when he drew upon himself the warfare in which he was finally vanquished” (Fuller 32). Fuller brought up Black Hawk again when she was describing an excursion she took in the fields of Illinois. She stated that “after wasting some two three hours on the ‘short-cut,’ we got out by following an Indian trail, -Black Hawk’s!” (Fuller 36). She was so thrilled to have found this trail because she exclaimed, “How fair the scene through which it [Black Hawk’s trail] led! How could they let themselves be conquered, with such a country to fight for!” (Fuller 36). Fuller was passionate about nature and beautiful scenery. There were many times that Fuller appreciated beauty in nature more than others. Margaret Fuller had a great interest in the nobility of the Native Americans. There is evidence that Edward Everett, Massachusetts Governor, mentioned Black Hawk in a speech that was recorded, and was noted to have influenced Margaret Fuller’s interest in Black Hawk in particular. (Steele 455). Now the question remains, who was Black Hawk?

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> Black Hawk was the leader of the Sauk Indian Tribe which was also referred to as the Sac.Up until his defeat, Black Hawk had become known as a fierce and unrelenting leader who had a mind of his own (Steele 445). Essayist, Scott Pratt, noted that unlike the other Native Americans who wrote autobiographies, Black Hawk’s autobiography “presented itself as the voice of a Native leader who was not ‘civilized’”(Pratt 112). In this autobiography, Black Hawk also included some of his history. Black Hawk says that he “was born at the Sac Village, on Rock River, in the year 1767” (Pratt 113). Black Hawk goes on to describe how his grandfather, Na-na-ma-kee, became acquainted with Quebec’s founder, Samuel de Champlain, before the Sauk “relocated to the Rock River” (Pratt 113). Champlain was the one who decided that Na-na-ma-kee should be the leader of the Sauk (Pratt 113). Specifically speaking of the Quad Cities, Black Hawk discussed Rock Island:

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> “I immediately started for Rock river, a distance of ten day’s travel, and on my arrival, found the report to be true. I went to my lodge, and saw a family occupying it. I wished to talk with them, but they could not understand me. I went to Rock Island and… told the interpreter what wanted to say to those people, viz: ‘Not to settle on our lands- nor trouble our lodges or fences- that there was plenty of land in the country for them to settle upon- and they must leave our village, as we were coming back to it in the spring.” The interpreter wrote me a paper, and I went back to the village, and showed it to the intruders, but could not understand their reply” (Pratt 116).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> Another essayist, Tena Helton, informs us that Black Hawk was never able to reclaim this land for his people (Helton 498). This is surprising really, considering the fame that Black Hawk had acquired for himself. He only gained more celebrity status after his defeat. Andrew Jackson tried to increase his popularity in his political campaign by showing Black Hawk as the defeated savage. This tactic did not work in his favor. Black Hawk’s fame grew steadily among all demographics, but there was one surprising demographic that left Black Hawk rather befuddled. He had become the object of many women’s “exotic fantasies” (Helton 499). He had been pursued by so many women he was moved to exclaim “What in the devil’s name do these squaws want of me?!” (Helton 499). As well as being slightly humorous, it well illustrates how Black Hawk garnered attention for the Midwest. One could even entertain the thought that Fuller herself may have had a crush on Black Hawk and that is why she paid him specific tribute in her book. While it is merely speculation and Fuller’s character would normally suggest otherwise, it is not all-together improbable. The world may never know.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> On a more serious note, Fuller spoke of the beauty of the Midwest and of the Sauk tribe and there is one location in the Quad City area that provides both. The Johnson-Sauk Trail State Park combines beauty and a rich story of its past. The Johnson-Sauk trail is a fascinating place located just outside Kewanee, Illinois. It is close to what was known as the “Great Willow Swamp, a marsh area covering the low-lying areas between the Mississippi, Rock and Green rivers, and is believed to have contained one of the most concentrated and varied wildlife populations in the central part of North America” (Johnson-Sauk Trail Official Website). The Official site gives insight on the name of the park:

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> Originally known as the Henry County Conservation Area, a local newspaper invited the public to suggest names when the conservation area was going to be changed to a state park. Two names were popular with the public. One would name the park after State Senator Frank P. Johnson, a tireless worker on behalf of the park, while the second suggested Sauk Trail as a fitting name, for the Indian tribes most associated with the park when Europeans began settling the area (Johnson-Sauk Trail Official Website).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> The Official Johnson-Sauk Trail website states that “the park sits astride a trail that led Native Americans from Lake Michigan to the confluence of the Mississippi and Rock rivers” (Johnson-Sauk Trail Official Website). This detail clues us in on how relevant Black Hawk really is to the Quad City area. Margaret Fuller realized the beauty of the area just as the Sauk Indians had. The trails that the Quad City dwellers wander through today hold as much beauty and majesty as the Indian trails that she walked through.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Works Cited **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Bird, Cathrine. //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Black Hawk War of 1832: A “Shaping Circumstance”. // Illinois Antiquity. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">44, 3 & 4, 45-50. Accessed: Ebsco Database on 12/01/2010

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Clarke, James F., //James Freeman Clarke: autobiography, diary and correspondence//. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Google Books. Date accessed 4-12-11 <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA111&dq=%22Memorial+and+Biographical+Sketches%22+%281880%29+James+Freeman+Clarke&ei=w-WkTfDHMsnerAGxgtCdCw&ct=result&id=BzBuGDK7l3YC#v=onepage&q=margaret%20fuller%20&f=false

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Edward Everett Wikipedia Page. //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Wikipedia //. [] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">. Web. Accessed: 11/28/2010.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Fuller, Margaret, //Summer on the Lakes in 1843//. Google Books. Date accessed 4-12 <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">2011. http://books.google.com/books?printsec=frontcover&dq=margaret+fuller,+Summer+on+the+Lakes&ei=T9GkTa7mApT4rAGL6fCHCw&ct=result&pg=PA51&id=EpJLAAAAMAAJ#v=onepage&q=Indian&f=false

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Helton, Tena. (2010). //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">What the White “Squaws” Want From Black Hawk: Gendering the // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Fan-Celebrity Relationship. //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> American Indian Quarterly. Fall 2010, 34:4, 498 <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">519. Accessed: Ebsco Database on 12/01/2010.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Johnson-Sauk Trail Website. // [|http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r1/johnson.htm#History]. Web. Accessed: 11/28/2010.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Illinois State Historical Society, //Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, Volume 2.// <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Google Books. Date accessed 4-12-2011 <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">[]PA7&dq=Illinois+State+Historical+Society.+Margaret+Fuller+in+Northern+Illinois.&hl=en&ei=-phmTdToM4H-8AazqZjKCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Fuller%27s%20Island&f=false

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Life of Margaret Fuller //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">. //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Google Books. // <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">[|http://books.google.com/books?id=TozO7LBNDRUC&pg=PA282&dq=margaret+fuller+and+black+hawk&hl=en&ei=pPr_TK2tEsugnQffpZ3lDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=margaret%20fuller%20and%20black%20hawk&f=false]. Web. Accessed: 11/29/2010. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Margaret Fuller Wikipedia Page. //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Wikipedia. // [] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">. Web. Accessed: 12/01/2010.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Pratt, Scott. (2001). //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The given land: Black Hawk’s conception of place. // Philosophy & <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Geography, 4, 1, 109-125.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Steele, Jeffrey. //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The Essential Margaret Fuller. // Rutgers University Press: New <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Brunswick, New Jersey. (1992).

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