American Ideals in Tension: The Sublime vs. Manifest Destiny

Preview

Authors

Elizabeth Dugan '24, DePauw University

Image Date

11-22-2024

Description

Arthur Parton Phelps River Forest, 1864 - 1914 Oil on canvas DePauw Art Collection, 1962.12.1

Medium

Peeler Art Center, Second floor Display Case

Exhibit Date

November 22, 2024 - June 30, 2025

Exhibit Description

This exhibit illustrates how late nineteenth-century American culture romanticized the unexplored western territories while simultaneously promoting the religious conviction known as Manifest Destiny. Ultimately, Manifest Destiny became the dominant ideology, leading to the tragic and widespread genocide of American indigenous peoples. The development of American society as we know it today is inseparable from the violence and murder of thousands of indigenous peoples.

Recommended Citation

Dugan, Elizabeth '24, "American Ideals in Tension: The Sublime vs. Manifest Destiny" (2024). All Past Exhibitions. 203, Scholarly and Creative Work from DePauw University.
https://scholarship.depauw.edu/peeler_exhibit/203