American Character - Then and Now

Similar material painted around this time in 1817 was John Trumbull's oil canvas “Declaration of Independence,” located in the United States Capitol Rotunda. ii Gilbert Stuart was a renowned artist who was known for capturing the inner character, which he believed was reflected in their physical features. He believed Washington features indicated a man with great passion.i The George Washington portrait brought Gilbert Stuart fame. This period in time a person like George Washington would give the artist more sitters.iii In addition, reproducing this portrait gave Stuart more money, either painting it with his own two hands or having

Important times in World history; two must come to mind: World War II and a piece of an American legacy, when Washington crosses the Delaware. Both events were painted by some of the world’s most creative and well-known artists; Pablo Picasso and Emmanuel Leutze. At first glance, not much is similar about these beautiful paintings, you may not even realize that there is more to the story than what first greets your eyes.

The American is a new man who is neither a European, nor his direct descendant. He is a strange mix of blood which cannot be found in any other country. The American is described as a person whose grandfather was an Englishman, his mother was Dutch and who has married a Frenchwoman. The American is a person who has left behind all his ancient manners and prejudices, and has received new ones from the mode of life he has embraced, the rank he holds and the government he obeys. A person becomes an American after being received in the broad lap of the great Alma Mater, and he becomes melted down into the new race of men whose posterity and efforts could transform the world in the days to come.

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.

Throughout the 1900’s, America has grown exponentially in its values, struggles, and art. The Best American Essays of the Century, written by Robert Atwan, showcases the progress this country has made through a series of essays ordered chronologically. Although many underlying topics existed in these pieces, three common themes particularly stood out. In “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston, “The Old Stone House” by Edmund Wilson, and “The Handicapped” by Randolph Bourne, identity is an important subject. Injustice is a clearly shared theme in “Coatesville” by John Jay Chapman, “The Devil Baby at Hull-House” by Jane Addams, and “Of the Coming of John” by W.E.B. Du Bois. Finally, in “Corn-pone Opinions” by Mark Twain, “Tradition and the Individual Talent” by T.S. Eliot, and “What Are Masterpieces and Why Are There So Few of Them” by Gertrude Stein, the aspect of non-personality and the removal of one’s self seems to be commonly spoken of in terms of creation.

Turner waited until the frontier had been completely gone because his main argument was that the frontier had been influencing Americans for the entire duration of its exploration and settlement. Turner had also argued that the frontier had been the “crucible” for America’s changes and developments (Turner 34). By describing the frontier as a crucible meant that its’ location was where the changes and developments being made transformed the immigrants into a new breed of American solely due to the frontier. However, the land itself did not directly influence the people of the frontier; the land was primarily just the location at which people made their individual

Painted from 1770-1773 The Peale Family consisted of nine of the Peale family members and their “faithful nurse” (Strickland 72). Willson himself is in the back left holding a palette and painting on an easel that says “Concordia Animae,” which means, harmony of souls. The unique composition of The Peale Family shows “the essential unity of the group” (Strickland 72). Connected by the hand and shoulder contact, the people in this painting seem to overlap, showing the concept of E Pluribus Unum. Popular in the 1800’s to the early 1900’s the style of conversation was used in this painting (Strickland 72). The clearness, crispness and realism represented in The Peale Family, demonstrated the classical nature of Peale’s work. Although some of his other works contain a more heroic and classical theme, they still convey the same styles. Being the first to paint a portrait of George Washington, and also painting portraits of 40 different officers from Valley Forge, Peale was known to have painted very “outstanding American leaders” (Encyclopedia of World Biography). As he painted in his classical style, Willson Peale established a name for himself that would be remembered for centuries.

For J. Hector St. John De Crèvecoeur and Phillis Wheatley the seduction of freedom was strong enough to have a hold over them throughout their lives. They express obtaining or wanting independence through writing about certain myths of American culture and identity. This idea of unfiltered, unbiased liberty saturates images of America. Even before it officially became a gaggle of nations, North America was known as a wide-open space full of possibilities. Crèvecoeur and Wheatley want the opportunity of self-determination, but it comes easier for one and with more complications for the other. Wheatley has the added disadvantage of her race and gender, while Crèvecoeur comes to these lands with all possibilities open and within reach. These outstanding factors affect the way these two write about American identity. Crèvecoeur’s Letters of An American Farmer: What is an American and various poems by Wheatley comment on the experience of being an American and share a critique on oppression, but there is a dichotomy in their specific views of the American Dream and the Self-Made Man due to their different positions in society.

Peale became known for his portraits of Revolutionary War leaders. He painted close to sixty portraits of the first American president, George Washington, including the well-known George Washington Before the Battle of Princeton (1781). He also depicted such notable citizens as Benjamin Franklin (1706-90), painted in 1789; Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), painted in 1791; and John Adams (1735-1826), painted around 1791-94. Peale’s portraits were exhibited at his Philadelphia museum, making an important statement of national pride. Most later became part of the collection of Independence National Historical

The iconic imagery of George Washington is present in various aspects of everyday life to the average American citizen; his portraits are displayed in government buildings, museums, a mountainside, and even loose pocket change. In a sense, his image has become a pseudo-allegorical figure representing the stability and power of the United States. Although the humble Washington has been documented as discontent with the act of sitting for artists, he patiently allowed hundreds of painters and sculptures to capture his likeness throughout his lifetime. None more frequent than the prominent renaissance-man and close friend, Charles Willson Peale and his family of artistic prodigies. Therefore, on account of his father’s status and success, Rembrandt

The Turner Thesis is a thesis written by 1 Fredrick Jackson Turner in the year of 1893. It states multiple claims that have changed the view of many U.S. historians and overall changed the history of America. This argument has caused many controversies including historians arguing over the true meaning of 2"frontier". I agree with Turners thesis because it caused many phenomenon's and overall changed the frontier era.

A persona as commonly known to many people is a social role played by a character. With all the kind of immigration that continuously takes place in America it is not easy to clearly distinguish who is an American. An American persona in a general perspective refers to someone whose origin is America. In history an American refers to the Red Indians; now they are refered to according to the political nomenclature Native Americans. Ironically, they have been reduced to almost an extinct community in their own country. Is it possible for one to clearly define an Italian, a British or a German?

The Washington Family by Edward Savage, painted from 1789-1796, features American’s original “First Family.” (Fig. 1) George Washington sits around a table in his Mount Vernon home with his wife, Martha and her two grandchildren, whom the Washingtons adopted following the death of their parents. Behind them, a household slave stands ready to serve and a vast landscape sprawls outside the window. Though the painting appears to be a simple, family portrait, it actually contains deeper, political messages.

- The origins of fiction and American identity: a comparison of Irving and Cooper -

Nevertheless, many writers jeopardized their state in the society and alienated themselves while inspecting the whole notion of otherness however; without their assistance and researches on issues like the race agendas, class prejudice, gender profiling, and sexuality, the nation would face severe misfortune. The works presented here provide a lens through which individuals may be able to comprehend and appreciate the different of others we have in literature, and a means by which constrictive social standards can be clearly broken down. These chosen authors have vigorously altered the standards of suitability, and in doing so have created more room for the expansion of the American identity. Being as rich and diverse as it is, the American