“A Soldier of Commendable Bravery and Pluck:” Joseph Pierce’s Struggle for Citizenship

This paper examines the life of Joseph Pierce, a Chinese American and Civil War soldier. It uses primary sources to tell Pierce’s personal story, and secondary sources to contexutalize Pierce’s story within the changing racial landscape and concepts of citizenship in nineteenth-century America. The paper advances the argument that Pierce used the early-nineteenth century concept of local citizenship strengthened by the comradery of his Civil War experiences to combat late-nineteenth century federal exclusion and racial prejudice.