Ashley Franks
25 April 2014
HIUS 221
Declaration of Independence, John Trumbull Artist John Trumbull (1756-1843) of Lebanon, Connecticut painted the Declaration of Independence, which was hung in 1826. The painting is of a moment on June 28, 1776 when the first draft of the Declaration was presented to the Second Continental Congress, less than a week before the document was officially adopted (Architect of the Capitol website). The elegance of the room, the importance of the event, and the displayed captured British flags seemingly portray a moment of triumphant victory and success. I believe Trumbull was successful in portraying this in his effort to capture a legendary moment in American history. Part of …show more content…
It depicts the Pilgrims on the deck of the ship Speedwell on July 22, 1620 before they departed from Delfs Haven, Holland for North America, where they sought religious freedom (Architect of the Capitol website). This journey must have been one of the many that populated the new land in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The message in the painting portrays fear, hope, and new beginnings. In the painting, the people are in prayer and looking upward. This makes me believe that they were entrusting God with whatever was next for them, or wherever their path was taking them. The article paired with the painting points out the city on the right side that the Pilgrims are leaving. This city is the Pilgrims’ home; it was all they knew. The fact that is included in the picture could show that the Pilgrims feared the change, or represent the significance of the change. The fear of such a big move could explain the armor that was included in the painting. The Pilgrims had a need for protection from the unknown in the New World they were journeying to. The rainbow in the picture depicts their faith in God and His promise. They were leaving everything behind in search of religious freedom. Though they were in never ending prayer with a strong need of protection, their faith needed to be strong in order to actually go through with the …show more content…
Garfield was the twentieth President of the United States before dying within six months. Born November 1831 as the youngest of five children, Garfield was the last president to have been born in a log cabin. He grew up influenced by religion, and finished his studies just under the age of 30. He was elected to the Ohio Senate in 1859, and was admitted to the bar in 1860. During the Civil War, Garfield fought tooth and nail for his officer commission and worked his way through the ranks to major general. From 1863 to 1880, he was a representative in the House for nine consecutive terms, and served on the Military Affairs Committee, as well as the Ways and Means committee. Although he was elected to Senate in 1880, he never served due to his presidential election. Garfield’s presidency was short lived after he was shot July 1881 on his way to Williams College to deliver a speech. Over the next few weeks, Garfield became extremely sick due to infection. On September 19, 1881, President James A. Garfield was pronounced dead after suffering a massive heart attack, a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm, blood poisoning and bronchial pneumonia. Reviewing his career and achievements, one finds that he became someone major despite his childhood shortcomings and setbacks. He is also a great candidate for Ohio, as his determination increased his ability to go far. Although he finished school later than others, he continued his studies well into his