The Passage of the Delaware was painted in 1819 by Thomas Sully. On the Christmas Night of 1776, General George Washington ordered his troops to cross the Delaware River in order to surprise a group of Hessians in Trenton, New Jersey. At this point in the Revolutionary War, Washington's army had just suffered a series of devastating defeats in New York. The minor victory in Trenton for the United States helped boost the confidence and morale of the remaining soldiers. In this painting, shade covers everything except the area around Washington, which is very bright. This is because during the war, Washington's strong leadership gave the Americans hope and confidence at a very grim time. His white horse and good posture reflect his heroism, and he is very clearly depicted as a beacon of light in the darkness.
The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, 17 June, 1775 was painted by John Trumbull sometime after 1815 but before 1831. It is focused around the dead body of General Joseph Warren, a Massachusetts politician and physician who had volunteered to fight in the Battle of Bunker Hill as a soldier, as well as a British regular named John Small, who is dressed in his redcoat uniform. John Small is preventing his fellow British soldier from bayonetting General Warren's body. Trumbull wanted to highlight both the death of a popular American hero, who is surrounded by light and dressed in white, and the humanity shown by John Small towards his enemy. The Battle of Bunker Hill was a significant event in the Revolutionary War because, despite eventually losing the hill, the British army suffered massive casualties in this Pyrrhic victory, which gave the American army confidence that they could actually defeat the experienced and well-trained British army.
Washington at Dorchester Heights was painted in 1806 by Gilbert Stuart. This huge painting shows Washington as a massive figure, almost as large as his horse. In the Revolutionary War, General Washington was beloved by his people, who admired his strong leadership and looked to him for hope and encouragement in dark times. By making Washington unrealistically big, Stuart is trying to portray him as being as powerful as people believed. The fact that Stuart chose Dorchester Heights is also significant, since this event highlighted Washington's good leadership and America's military prowess. On March 4, 1776, the Continental Army occupied Dorchester Heights, one of the crucial areas with a clear view on Boston, which was occupied by the British army. They used very clever tactics to move their artillery on top of the hill, which most people thought was an impossible feat. By moving cannons to this point, the Continental Army would be able to bombard the city and harbor, and the British would be very vulnerable. Eventually the British army was forced to evacuate the city, which was a massive victory for the American army. They took the hill with very few men, which nobody believed was possible, and this led to Americans believing that they were capable of almost anything.
Pat Lyon at the Forge was painted between 1826-27 by John Neagle. Pat Lyon was a very wealthy man, but instead of choosing to be shown in his most expensive clothes, he chose to commemorate the time in his past in which he worked as a blacksmith. The lighting of the painting highlights his simple clothing and occupation, which was very different than what was standard in Europe. Americans loved the idea of a rags to riches story, and Pat Lyon clearly had one. He had been able to achieve great wealth in spite of his humble beginnings, and this path was seen as the American Dream.
Joseph Warren was painted by John Singleton Copley in about 1765. Many people believe that Warren was the first great American hero because of his many contributions to the American revolution. He was a very successful and respected physician in Boston, and helped save many people during the smallpox epidemic in Boston in 1763. This successful and gentlemanly the side of him is the one that Copley highlighted in the portrait, wearing nice clothes that showed his wealth, covered in black, the color worn only by professionals, and resting his arm on anatomical drawings. However, he also played a critical role in the revolution, delivering many speeches and leading the Boston Tea Party. He was both a solider and physician during the retreat after the battles in Lexington and Concord, and died a heroic death at the Battle of Bunker Hill. He was a great physician, soldier, politician, and citizen, and was a significant figure in the American Revolutionary War.
This model of Flying Cloud was made by Horace E. Boucher in 1915. Flying Cloud was a clipper ship built in Boston in 1851 that set the record for the fastest passage from New York to San Francisco, taking only 89 days and 8 hours. Set in 1854, this record was held for over 100 years. This advancement in technology came at a perfect time, since the California Gold Rush was booming and people were looking for a faster way to cross the country. It would normally take a ship more than 200 days to make the journey, but the Flying Cloud took less than half that time. This unbelievable feat showed Americans how quickly they were advancing as a country, and led them to believe that anything was possible in this new land of opportunity.
This model of the USS Constitution was made by William F. Spicer in 1928. Launched in 1797, the ship is still in active service and is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat. Her most famous actions occurred in the War of 1812, in which she defeated five British warships. The most significant of these battles was against the H.M.S. Guerriere, a British frigate. On August 19, 1812, the Constitution defeated the British vessel, taking very little damage and capturing over 250 British sailors. At the time, the American navy was young and small, and the Guerriere had been stopping and searching many American merchant vessels. This victory, in which the crew suffered relatively few casualties and the ship took hardly any damage, showed the entire world that they were a power to be reckoned with, and "Old Ironsides," a nickname that the ship acquired after the battle, was a clear symbol of that power.
Engagement Between the United States and the Macedonian was painted in 1813 by Thomas Birch. During the War of 1812, the young American navy fought against the "invincible" British fleet. This painting depicts a battle in which a British ship, the Macedonian, is defeated by the United States, an American ship. This conflict, which lasted only 30 minutes, gave Americans hope and strength, showing them that they were capable of defeating their mighty enemy.
Niagara Falls from Table Rock was painted in 1835 by Samuel Finley Breese Morse. The painting shows Niagara Falls, a quintessential landscape that shows the beauty and majesty of America. At the time it was painted, it served to encourage western expansion. The light is glistening off the water, and the people look very small compared to the huge waterfall. Located on the boarder of New York and Canada, this breathtaking natural wonder showed people how beautiful their country was, and how much of it was left to be discovered.
Boys in a Pasture was painted by Winslow Homer in 1874. In the years following the Civil War, Homer depicts these innocent boys as being simple and peaceful. Homer does not give them detailed faces to try to make the painting more universal, instead of only applying to an individual. The scene in the painting represents the optimism and hope for the future that many Americans felt at the time.