courtesy Architect of the Capitol

Visual evidence offers the historian a fresh and interesting approach to the study a particular historical topic. In this project, we will be studying the early American republic and the ideals that this nation was built upon. This project will examine the ideals of Manifest Destiny, paternalism, white superiority and American imperialism using Viven Green Fryd’s book Art and Empire as a basis for many of our conclusions.

The artwork in the Capitol Rotunda exemplifies these themes in its visual representation. The study of these themes is facilitated by the artwork, not textual evidence. One can study the treaties, the documents and the diaries of the era and understand the facts, but through the art in the Capitol, one can understand the sentiment of the period. Studying the art in the Capitol opens the discussion about racism, white superiority and subjugation in early America.