“American Progress” by John Gast
This painting evokes a lot of emotion and information. It is very interesting that from the east, it is bright and sunny but to the west it is dark and unknown. It must have felt like that for the colonists and also for the American Indians. I think this painting illustrates what history illustrates. It is all about whose side gets to tell the story. Obviously, John Gast is telling the story from the colonists’ point of view. For the colonists, moving westward was about opportunity. Opportunity for new land, new crops, new discoveries, new jobs, new lives. This idea of “Manifest Destiny” was not a new concept. For centuries, other nations and people have tried to expand their empire. The Romans are a great example of this. In history, there are many examples of one nation or culture trying to displace another in order to better themselves.