Painting Is American Progress By John Gast - 847 Words

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but maybe they are worth far more than that. Pictures, although seemingly simple in nature, are extremely complex. Far too often, people overlook what a picture truly is. When a person looks at an image, they most likely see only the image, nothing else. Many people do not look deep enough into an image to fully comprehend the true meaning of it. However, when an individual begins to truly study an image in an attempt to understand the true complexity of it, they will be surprised at what they overlooked before. As stated by French Realist Painter, Gustave Courbet, â€Å"Fine art is knowledge made visible.† American Progress by John Gast, 1872 At first glance, the painting above may seem very odd. There is a woman flying above what appears to be settlers on the open plains. However, after examining this image closely it begins to make more sense. The title of this painting is American Progress by John Gast. The title of this painting goes along with the painting itself very well as this painting depicts American progress. The painting above is from the era of Manifest Destiny in the United States in the 19th century. Manifest Destiny is the belief that it was God s will for America to stretch from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Americans believed that not only was the United States able to, but that the United States was destined to stretch across the continent, from ocean to ocean. This image is one of theShow MoreRelatedJohn Gasts Painting, American Progess, Shows Human Progress Requires Sacrifice, Suffering, and Struggle789 Words   |  4 PagesHuman progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning. This is why the Americans held the belief that they were destined to expand across the continent. One thing that the American settlers d id not acknowledge was that all progress is precariousRead MoreManifest Destiny Essay1433 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Native Americans already living in the West, but that didn’t stop the people of the United States. Overall, American expansion, during 1803-1860, transformed the West and affected the Native Americans because of Manifest Destiny, Indian Removal and the advancement of trade and economics. The first reason for the transformation of the West was the belief of Manifest Destiny. The term Manifest Destiny was a belief that justified the expansion West, it stated that it was the Americans’ God givenRead MoreThe Expansion Of The United States1078 Words   |  5 Pages The expansion of the United States into the territory west of the Mississippi River began with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the nation with a great deal of $15 million from France. While, American development was influenced by westward expansion, the purchasing of more land created controversy. Many disagreed with the idea of expanding and taking over land because Indians who already occupied the land wasn’t included in the agreement that was made and theRead MoreAmerican Progress By John Gast1074 Words   |  5 PagesIn 1872, John Gast created a masterpiece that not only exemplified what American society was like, but global advancement as well. This artwork, rightfully titled â€Å"American Progress† is a clear display of the journey Americans were taking in attempt to civilize the world to their standards, what would become known as the White Man’s burden. While we continue to call it a burden, it seemed anything but to those on the â€Å"civilized† side of it. â€Å"American Progress† shows the joy of bringing enlightenmentRead MoreAmerican Character - Then and Now2118 Words   |  9 PagesAmerican Character - Then and Now A notion that still holds strong today, Fredrick Jackson Turners idea of American character was one based on trials and experiences. Unlike Crevecour, Turner believed that American character was not simply a product of English character transported to America, but rather another idea altogether (Faragher 63). He expressed this opinion the best when he said, In the crucible of the frontier the immigrants were Americanized, liberated, and fused into a mixedRead More american character - then and now Essay2086 Words   |  9 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;American Character - Then and Now nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;A notion that still holds strong today, Fredrick Jackson Turner’s idea of American character was one based on trials and experiences. Unlike Crevecour, Turner believed that American character was not simply a product of English character transported to America, but rather another idea altogether (Faragher 63). He expressed this opinion the bestRead MoreFrederick Jackson Turner The Father Of The Frontier Summary899 Words   |  4 Pageswhat is recognized today as American history with his Frontier Thesis, first introduced to the American Historical Association in Chicago in 1893 with his seminal paper â€Å"The Significance of the Frontier in American History,† where he calls the frontier â€Å"the line of most rapid and effective Americanization† (201). Turner, although he did not himself coin the phrase, may be appropriately named the father of â€Å"rugged individualism,† a prevailing understanding of the American spirit, which refers to theRead MoreA Popular American Topic On The 19th Century2982 Words   |  12 PagesA popular American topic taking place in the nineteenth century has been seen as the story of the young nation and its settlement along with its expansion. This tale is often generates a bit of controversy because it was at the expense of the Native Americans lives that this young American nation was able to expand its wings, flourish its economy and set its self-up as the hegemon country in years that would follow. With the increase of population, people saw the need to expand their own personal