He succeeded his father Chief Joseph the Elder as chief in 1871 and continued to lead the Nez Perce until his death in 1904. Primarily due to his passionate leadership during the forced removal of his people from their ancestral lands by the United States government, Chief Joseph remains an iconic figure of American and Native American history.
Why was Chief Joseph a good leader?
His humility is one virtue that made him a great leader in Egypt. Gracious: Joseph was gracious to his brothers who betrayed him. He showed compassion and mercy in their time of greatest need. He gave them food and forgave them during the time of severe famine.
What are facts about Chief Joseph?
Interesting Facts about Chief Joseph
- The band of Nez Perce that he grew up with was the Wallowa band.
- For his military genius during the retreat, he earned the nickname the "Red Napoleon."
- His doctor said he died from a broken heart.
- You can read about Chief Joseph in the book Thunder Rolling in the Mountains by author Scott O'Dell.
Why was chief Tecumseh so important?
Why Is Tecumseh's Important?
- Tecumseh : A Shawnee Chief. The most important and intriguing aspect of Tecumseh’s life was his involvement in the War of 1812.
- Tecumseh: A Brief Biography. ...
- Native American War. ...
- Tippecanoe-Personal Narrative Analysis. ...
- Native American Tribe As The Kickapoo. ...
- Native American Tribe As The Kickapoo
Why was Chief Joseph trying to seek refuge?
When the United States attempted to force the Nez Perce to move to a reservation in 1877, Chief Joseph reluctantly agreed. Following the killing of a group of white settlers, tensions erupted again, and Chief Joseph tried to lead his people to Canada, in what is considered one of the great retreats in military history.
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How did Chief Joseph impact America?
He'd been one of the early Nez Perce leaders to convert to Christianity, and his influence had gone a long way toward establishing peace with his white neighbors. In 1855, he forged a new treaty that created a new reservation for the Nez Perce.
Who was Chief Joseph in American history?
Chief Joseph, Native American name In-mut-too-yah-lat-lat, (born c. 1840, Wallowa Valley, Oregon Territory—died September 21, 1904, Colville Reservation, Washington, U.S.), Nez Percé chief who, faced with settlement by whites of tribal lands in Oregon, led his followers in a dramatic effort to escape to Canada.
Why is Chief Joseph a hero?
Chief Joseph lived among the Nez Perce tribe. They resided in what is now Northeastern Oregon and Southeastern Washington. This Nez Perce chief still is a hero today because of his resiliency in fighting for what he knew was right. He was able to capture the hearts of his followers and of many Americans.
What did Chief Joseph do for human rights?
Joseph never stopped pressing for land in the Wallowa Valley, and up to his death in 1904, the government kept reopening and reconsidering his claims. Joseph became an inspiration to generations of civil rights and human rights activists due his forceful message of universal liberty and equality.
Who said I will fight no more forever?
Chief Joseph ofChief Joseph of the Nez Perce peoples surrenders to U.S. General Nelson A. Miles in the Bear Paw mountains of Montana, declaring, “Hear me, my chiefs: My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.”
What was Chief Joseph famous quote?
“I believe much trouble and blood would be saved if we opened our hearts more.” “It does not require many words to speak the truth.” “The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it.”
How many wives did Chief Joseph have?
At least 700 men, women, and children led by Joseph and other Nez Perce chiefs were pursued by the U.S. Army under General Oliver O....Chief JosephKnown forNez Perce leaderPredecessorJoseph the Elder (father)SpousesHeyoon Yoyikt SpringtimeChildrenJean-Louise10 more rows
What is the Nez Percé tribe known for?
The Nez Percé built up one of the largest horse herds on the continent. They were almost unique among Native Americans in conducting a selective breeding program, and they were instrumental in creating the Appaloosa breed.
How old is the Nez Percé tribe?
The Nez Percé (/ˌnɛzˈpɜːrs/; autonym in Nez Perce language: Nimíipuu, meaning "we, the people") are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who are presumed to have lived on the Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest region for at least 11,500 years.
What happened after Chief Joseph surrendered?
By the time Chief Joseph surrendered, more than 200 of his followers had died. Although he had negotiated a safe return home for his people, the Nez Percé instead were taken to eastern Kansas and then to a reservation in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).
Did Chief Joseph say let me be a free man?
If a white man breaks the law, punish him also. Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to talk, think and act for myself — and I will obey every law or submit to the penalty.
What was Joseph's final sentence of his famous surrender speech?
"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." On October 5, 1877, Chief Joseph spoke these words during his surrender in the Bear Paw Mountains of Montana.
What was Joseph's final sentence of his famous surrender speech?
"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." On October 5, 1877, Chief Joseph spoke these words during his surrender in the Bear Paw Mountains of Montana.
Who was the last Indian chief to surrender?
GeronimoWhen Geronimo was captured on September 4, 1886, he was the last Native American leader to formally surrender to the U.S. military. He spent the last 23 years of his life as a prisoner of war.
What was Chief Joseph's point of view about the frontier wars?
What was Chief Joseph's point of view about the Indian Wars? The Nez Perces wanted peace, but the US government forced them into a conflict.
What was the response of Chief Joseph leader of the Nez Perce when the U.S. government wanted the Nez Perce to move reservation?
Chief Joseph surrendered on October 5, 1877, and declared in his famous surrender speech that he would "fight no more forever." In total, the Nez Perce engaged 2,000 American soldiers of different military units, as well as their Indian auxiliaries.
Why is Chief Joseph so famous?
Primarily due to his passionate leadership during the forced removal of his people from their ancestral lands by the United States government, Chief Joseph remains an iconic figure of American and Native American history.
Where was Chief Joseph born?
Chief Joseph was born Hinmatóowyalahtq̓it (“Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt”), meaning “Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain” in the Nez Perce language, in the Wallowa Valley of what is now northeastern Oregon on March 3, 1840. Known as Young Joseph during his youth and later as Joseph, he was named after his Christian father ...
What did Young Joseph ask his father to do before he passed away?
Before he passed away, his father had asked Young Joseph to protect the Nez Perce lands and guard his grave. To the request, Young Joseph replied, “I clasped my father's hand and promised to do as he asked. A man who would not defend his father's grave is worse than a wild beast.”.
How old was Chief Joseph when he died?
Sadly, Chief Joseph never again saw Wallowa Valley, dying at age 64 of what his doctors called “a broken heart,” on the Colville Reservation on September 21, 1904.
Why was Joseph the Elder named Joseph?
Known as Young Joseph during his youth and later as Joseph, he was named after his Christian father Tuekakas, bapt ized “Joseph the Elder.”. As one of the first Nez Perce chiefs to convert to Christianity, Joseph the Elder initially worked to maintain peace with early white settlers.
Who refused to agree with Joseph the Elder?
When Joseph the Elder, along with his fellow Nez Perce leaders, chiefs Looking Glass and White Bird, refused to agree, conflict seemed inevitable. Joseph the Elder erected signs around the tribe’s lands proclaiming, “Inside this boundary, all our people were born.
Where is Joseph buried?
While he is buried on the reservation, he is also honored in the Pacific Northwest at the Chief Joseph Dam on the Columbia River; at Chief Joseph Pass on the Idaho-Montana border ; and perhaps most fittingly, at Chief Joseph Mountain, which overlooks the town of Joseph in the Wallowa Valley.
Who was Chief Joseph?
Share. Chief Joseph (1840-1904) was a leader of the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce Tribe, who became famous in 1877 for leading his people on an epic flight across the Rocky Mountains. He was born in 1840 and he was called Joseph by Reverend Henry H. Spalding (1803-1874), who had established a mission amongst the Nez Perce in 1836.
How did Joseph and the other chiefs avoid all out war?
Joseph and the other chiefs concluded that the only way to avoid all-out war was to leave their country altogether, head over Lolo Pass into Montana, and buy some time among the friendly Flathead people in the buffalo country. Yet as they made preparations to move, fierce battles with soldiers broke out in White Bird Canyon on the Snake River, and then on the Clearwater River . All-out war was already upon them.
What did Joseph and the Nez Perce do?
Joseph and the Nez Perce made it over Lolo Pass and down to the Bitterroot Valley with only minor skirmishes. Joseph believed that they had left the war behind them. During one early confrontation with soldiers at an ineffectual barricade nicknamed Fort Fizzle, they struck an impromptu deal. "We agreed not to molest anyone and they agreed that we might pass through the Bitterroot country in peace," Joseph later wrote (Joseph). They even stopped for several days at Stevensville to rest up and to trade stock with white settlers. Looking Glass patrolled the streets of Stevensville, making sure his young warriors weren't getting drunk and causing trouble.
Why did Joseph lead his people to Camas Prairie?
Joseph then led his forlorn -- and in many cases, angry -- people to Camas Prairie in Idaho for one last tribal rendezvous before picking out their own parts of the reservation. He was convinced it was the only way to keep his people safe and intact. He also believed that he could eventually work out an agreement that would allow them to return to Wallowa and at least share the land with the white settlers.
What did Joseph refuse to do?
Joseph refused, saying that he had promised his father he would never leave. In 1877, these disputes erupted into violence and Joseph's band, along with other Nez Perce bands, fled across the Bitterroot Mountains into Montana, with federal troops in pursuit. Joseph was by no means the military leader of the group, ...
Where is Joseph's tomb today?
Joseph died in 1904 in Nespelem, Washington, of what his doctor called "a broken heart.". His tomb remains in Nespelem today.
Why did Joseph ask his wife to get his headdress?
On September 21, 1904, as he lay dying of an undiagnosed illness, he asked his wife to get his headdress because "I wish to die as a chief" (Nerburn). Soon after, Chief Joseph's long journey was over.
How long did Chief Joseph lead the Nez Perce Indians?
Fearing retaliation by the U.S. Army, the chief began one of the great retreats in American military history. For more than three months , Chief Joseph led fewer than 300 Nez Perce Indians toward the Canadian border, covering a distance of more than 1,000 miles as the Nez Perce outmaneuvered and battled more than 2,000 pursuing U.S. soldiers.
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Who defeated Shawnee Chief Tecumseh?
Shawnee chief Tecumseh is defeated. During the War of 1812, a combined British and Native American force is defeated by General William Harrison’s American army at the Battle of the Thames near Ontario, Canada.
What happened to the Nez Perce?
Earlier in the year, the U.S. government broke a land treaty with the Nez Perce, forcing the group out of their homeland in Wallowa Valley in the Northwest for relocation in Idaho. In the midst of their journey, Chief Joseph learned that three young Nez Perce warriors, had killed a band of white settlers.
Early Life and Background
Chief Joseph and The Nez Perce War
- Chief Joseph assumed leadership of the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce when Joseph the Elder died in 1871. Before he passed away, his father had asked Young Joseph to protect the Nez Perce lands and guard his grave. To the request, Young Joseph replied, “I clasped my father's hand and promised to do as he asked. A man who would not defend his father's grave is worse than a wil…
Later Life and Death
- Rather than being returned to their Wallowa Valley home in Oregon, Chief Joseph and his 400 surviving people were loaded on unheated railcars and shipped first to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, then to a reservation in the Indian Territory of Oklahoma. In 1879, Joseph met with President Rutherford B. Hayesin Washington, D.C., to request that his people be returned to Idaho. While H…
Legacy
- Bearing his name as a tribute to his leadership, the Chief Joseph band of Nez Perce still live on the Colville Indian Reservation. While he is buried on the reservation, he is also honored in the Pacific Northwest at the Chief Joseph Dam on the Columbia River; at Chief Joseph Pass on the Idaho-Montana border; and perhaps most fittingly, at Chief Joseph Mountain, which overlooks th…
Sources and Further Reference
- “Chief Joseph: Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt (1840-1904).” The West. PBS
- Buerge, David M. “Chief Seattle and Chief Joseph: From Indians to Icons.” University of Washington
- “Old Chief Joseph Gravesite History.”U.S. National Park Service.
- "The Treaty Period.”Nez Perce National Historical Park