The American Dream

A visual essay

Landing at Plymouth This 19th century engraving by Sarony and Major depicts the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock in 1620.

Edward Hicks, Peaceable Kingdom ca. 1833

Bierstadt, AlbertAmong the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California

In American Progress, painted by John Gast in 1872, an allegorical female figure of America leads pioneers and railroads westward as Native Americans and buffalo flee

Western land for sale, Advertisement, late 1800’s

Washing and panning gold. Rockerville, Dak. Photograph by Grabill, 1889.

 New York - Welcome to the land of freedom - An ocean steamer passing the Statue of Liberty: Scene on the steerage deck / from a sketch by a staff artist.

Immigrant transformation

An Early Family Poses in Front of their 1948 Cape Cod (type of house), Leavittown (early suburb)

Norman Rockwell, “Freedom From Want”

Theme

1. The abstract concept explored in a literary work

2. Frequently recurring ideas

3. Repetition of a meaningful element in a work