John Gast “American Progress” (1872)
Essay
Every nation is characterized by its own unique culture that is created according to the background of knowledge, religious ideas, beliefs, ethnical peculiarities. Certainly, every culture is unique in its own artifacts that help to understand this culture in the better way. These are literature works, architectural monuments and sculptures, pieces of music, etc. All artifacts of the past centuries have deep roots in the given culture, so deep that sometimes it is not really possible to understand their origin.
The example of such artifacts is the painting “American Progress” by John Gast that was created in circa 1872. This cultural artifact represents American culture very well, and even it is of the great actuality nowadays. The artifact is closely related both to historical events and to the culture. 19th century was a period of expanding progressive ideas and innovations to the west.
Source: Anderson, G. (2013).
The painting “American Progress” presents unique settings to the view: pretty girl that resembles goddess-like creature is flying to the west expanding innovations like telegraph wire from one village to another. The sky and areas above and beside her seem to be light, and those in front of her still remain dark, and the girl is going to bring light of progress forward, as well as democratic values. This girl is the symbol of American Progress that is ready to bring light to the other lands, bring all positive values that are related to this culture.
This artifact has deep cultural roots that are originate from the ancient Greek culture. Greeks believed not only in gods, but also in their messengers, the creatures that had to send important messages from gods. For instance, Odyssey also had an opportunity to receive some messages from gods, particularly from Zeus, who once sent Hermes (the messenger) to him. Goddess-like girl in Gast’s painting is the messenger of light and progressive democratic values of the West.
The historical roots that helped this painting come into being were special. 19th century was a period in American history that originated a discussion amongst politicians and citizens, if American settlers had rights to expand democratic values across the continent. This was believed to be a kind of mission America had to fulfill for good of the whole continent. These activities were some part of the Manifest Destiny that was the first step on the road of promoting democracy across the continent. Historically, the Manifest Destiny was used to justify war activities against Mexico in 1840s. Many American authors are focused on Manifest Destiny in the context of American expansionism (Stuart, 1988; Weinberg, 1935) in order to clarify the issues related to the origin and essential features of this cultural and historical period related to Manifest Destiny.
The painting “American Progress” belongs to the cultural period when romanticism related to expanding new values across the continent is an essential one to understand the nature of promoting activities. For better or for worse, the supporters of American progress gained success in such activities, including providing people of many distant villages with telegraph wires, schools and books. In spite of some negative aspects of such an expansion, the values were expanded for better life for people.
This artifact finds an appropriate reflection in the modern history, as the habit of promoting democratic values across the world is more popular nowadays than it was in the 19th century. Some of the American politicians do really believe that they can bring democratic values by force to the other continents, particularly to Asian people that were raised under the other culture. For instance, war actions in Afghanistan and Iraq were also justified by the necessity to send American progress to the other nations, in a way of sharing these values expanding them from one region to another. Similar to the war campaign against Mexico in 1840s that was justified by the Manifesto Destiny; the modern war actions were also justified in this way, in the way of being focused on the necessity of expanding democracy and modernization across the world.
Historical and cultural periods tend to get changed, and new artifacts make influence on the development of democratic and cultural principles in the USA. In spite of this, the former conservative values stills stand strong in the American society. Particularly, the painting by John Gast is one the greatest artifacts of the 19th century that is of great actuality even nowadays. For the future generations, this artifact will be also of the great value, for the special meaning it bears in it.
John Gast provided this painting with a very important meaning that is related not only for modernization, but also for some evolution processes for the development of American culture. American values that are related to democracy and its expanding all across the world are and will be of the essential meaning for many generations of American people. There is a hope that the light of democracy that is depicted on the Gast’s painting, will be brought to every dark place of the world.
References
Anderson, G. (2013). John Gast: “American Progress” 1872. Retrieved from <
http://fremdamericanstudies.ning.com/photo/john-gast-american-progress>.
Stuart, Reginald C. (1988). United States expansionism and British North America, 1775–1871. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9780807817674.
Weinberg, Albert Katz; Walter Hines Page School of International Relations (1935). Manifest destiny: a study of nationalist expansionism in American history. The Johns Hopkins Press. ISBN 0404147062.
