Lesson Template
MANIFEST DESTINY: PAINTINGS AS
PROPAGANDA
Grade Level: 4-12, United States History
Time Frame: 60 minutes
Lesson Summary: Students will look at a variety of 19th century paintings that helped
create the image of the romantic west. Each painting depicts a variety
of themes that romanticized the image of the American West while
denying the role of marginized groups (Native Americans, Immigrants)
in the development of the West.
Objectives:
The students should be able to:
1. Analyze paintings to identify the use symbols, color and content.
2. Evaluate the motives behind the artwork
3. Explain how art is a reflection of the time period in which it is painted.
Key terms: Manifest Destiny, Propaganda, Nationalism, Nativism
Historical Background for the Teacher: Often art is a reflection of the time period in which
it is created. The artist is always influenced by the world in which they live in. The 19th
century is rich with classical American artwork that portrays America and its growth
throughout the century. Notable artists include John Gast, Emanuel Leutz, Robert
Lindneur, Asher Durand, W. Frank Lynn. Using the paintings of these artists students will
identify western themes from the period collectively identified as Manifest Destiny.
Anticipatory Set: The painting America’s Progress by John Gast needs to be displayed as
the students enter the room, along with a definition of Manifest Destiny.
Procedures:
I. Students look at the painting America’s Progress in sections via power point and write a list of
things that they see in the painting.
a. Using the ‘magnifier’ students come up to the painting and identify what they see
i. All students need to add details to their list that they did not have after their first
observation of the painting.
1. Now, students need to put a *star by the things in the painting that have
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Lesson Template
sound
2. Students and teacher practice making the sounds depicted in the
painting (train whistle, horses, buffalo, telegraph(talking), boat whistle,
Native Americans (scream), wagon trains)
3. As a class the sounds are brought together effectively bringing the
painting to life and illustrating the meaning of Manifest Destiny
II. Day of Lesson Procedure
a. Show power point of artwork from the period including work from the artists listed
above.
b. Identify Western Themes; Manifest Destiny, Indian Removal, Nationalism,
Immigration, Nativism, Technological Advances, Western Cities and Towns, Western
Myth, Landscape as a Hero
i. Discuss with students; Which themes are featured in America’s Progress?
1. If available, put graphic organizer of Western Themes on a doc cam and fill in
the answers as students see them; note they should identify the four most
powerful themes and then explain in the square how the painting depicts the
theme indicated
2. Alternately draw the graphic organizer on the board or chart paper and fill in.
ii. Put students in teams of 2 or 3. They will analyze 2 or 3 of the other paintings using
graphic organizer ‘Western Themes’
1. Paintings should be placed in sleeves to hand out or be displayed on the
classroom walls.
iii. Finally have students create their own artwork using drawings/ magazine pics to
portray 4 different western themes.
Homework: Student Artwork
Assessment: Student Artwork
Resources:
Cicero; Teaching History Beyond the Textbook
Smithsonian American Art Museum: http://americanart.si.edu/education/resources/
Author of Lesson: Lucinda Evans; levans@aihe.info
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