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Manifest Destiny Art

The whites and the natives were, in contrast, beliefs about different social issues which arose between them. The whites were the propagators of manifest destiny, and they were the ones who were willing and wishing to expand the United States to the furthest places possible. However, the natives, who were majorly Indians, did not want this to happen, and therefore there was a conflict. The Indians, however, were viewed as inferior by the whites. Therefore it was very difficult for them to stop manifest destiny from taking place, and therefore it took place as the whites had planned. Therefore herein I discuss the contrast of the art of natives and the whites.

American progress was painted by John Gast, a supporter of the whites and the manifest destiny. This painting depicts how the American people would capture the whole continent, especially the northern part, and make it theirs. It was seen as a divine providence that they should civilize every people in the whole of America and that they should make the whole America part of the United States. The painting of Columbia, which is seen as a female figure of the United States, carries the values of republicanism like her garment and telegraph. She is clearing the natives under her feet and pushing them to the darkness as she leads the United States to conquer and get the whole of America under her control.

However, other artists like John Mix Stanley supported the natives and painted different types of arts to support the Native Americans. An example is the buffalo hunt painting. It is a depiction of the natives using horses to prevent the buffalo from destroying the property of the natives. Therefore, the natives were not for the manifest destiny as they were focused on their lives, like protecting their livelihoods from ‘buffaloes’ and other animals. It can also display the whites as buffaloes who wanted to destroy the natives. Therefore, in conclusion, it is evident that the natives were against manifest destiny while the whites were so much possessed by the manifest destiny.

Works cited

Horsman, Reginald. Race and manifest destiny. Harvard University Press, 1981.

The joy of, Museum, “‘Buffalo Hunt on the Southwestern Prairies’ by John Mix Stanley” Joy of Museums Virtual Tours, 28 Oct. 2020, joyofmuseums.com/museums/united-states-of-america/washington-d-c/smithsonian-american-art-museum/buffalo-hunt-on-the-southwestern-prairies-by-john-mix-stanley/.