The Westward Movement - American Progress and the Settlers

Question 1

There are different displays of symbolism in American Progress:

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as the painting shifts left, it begins to grow darker, the furthest left is marked by a foreboding sky adorned with storm clouds, there's a variation in light:eastern America (the rightmost edge) is bright, Western expansion by Americans is shown as a glorious & righteous progress

Question 2

Nevertheless, what did they all share? They all shared …

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the idea there would be sthg better, sthg different, a dream opportunity

Question 3

Overall, American Progress by John Gast in 1872,

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paired American innovations to the idea of expanding westward, shows how a static picture can convey a dynamic story, presented a very effective propaganda, played off the American emotions regarding patriotism and Manifest Destiny

Question 4

Which idea did Gast plant in Americans mind with Columbia bearing the innovative telegraph wire in her left hand? It was

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their heavenly duty to expand the country all the way to the Pacific Ocean

Question 5

What was American Progress designed for? It was …

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meant to be published in a popular series of western travel guides

Question 6

Why did pioneers move westward?

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Some went in search of riches, Others were fleeing oppression, Some moved westward to flee from the law, Others went to escape from poverty

Question 7

Who by and when was American Progress painted?

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John Gast, 1872

Question 8

To him, this aggressive use of pathos is the reason why Americans connected with the painting and the ideas it diffused

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True

Question 9

Besides, one can’t help but notice that

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the gentle rolling hills east give way to jagged mountains into the gloom

Question 10

Columbia is moving westward and she illuminates the way as she goes. American historian Amy Greenberg said that she ...

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is an allegorical figure that carries a benign domestic influence, smoothly and upliftingly transforms the wilderness into civilization

Question 11

Columbia is

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also a historical name applied to the Americans & to the New World, clearly exuding the light aforementioned, the dominating figure in the painting, an angel and is the female national personification of the US

Question 12

Finally,

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True

Question 13

John Gast used this symbolism so the viewer would

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feel a lot of emotions, think that the east is warm and welcoming while the west is dark & ominous

Question 14

Tick the right statements - Indeed,

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they all present the idea of technological advancement, and this technological advancement is being brought further West,, helping American folks to continue settle the frontier, the covered wagons, stagecoaches & then trains are all painted moving west

Question 15

The journalist calls this

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an aggressive use of pathos

Question 16

The painting also mirrored 19th century beliefs that Indians were

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mere savages, godless beings that had no soul, to be cleansed out of the land to allow for the purification of the land

Question 17

In the 19th century, because the USA had great aspirations for its future, westward expansion was

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viewed as an economic opportunity to exploit the hopeful thoughts of others, a common mindset, like the idea of Manifest Destiny among early Americans, seen as a great opportunity to start anew, an appealing thought

Question 18

Who has Columbia been for Americans?

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The symbol that shows republicanism is her Roman garb, She embodies progress and clears Natives and animals from the land, The female figure of America, The figure that leads US into the West carrying the values of republicanism

Question 19

As a result of this vision of westward expansion

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Propaganda began surfacing portraying the West and the American expansion

Question 20

According to author Steve Givens, what did they have with them?

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Faith in God, Everything they owned, Faith in their country, Faith in themselves

Question 21

Knowing what we know today, our vision of Indians / Natives is diametrically opposed and

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they appear as troubled, fleeing in desperation to hold on to their life, the way they are shown fleeing is the real pathos, brave farmers taming the land can be seen as selfish agents of destruction, we can’t help but feel sympathy for them

Question 22

What belief(s) did they also carry with them? The belief that ...

Accepted Answer

they would have to transform themselves to adapt to this new rough life, they would have to change, to be a new person, they would be freer in their new life

The Westward Movement - American Progress and the Settlers

Questions 22

The Westward Movement - American Progress and the Settlers

Questions 22