Emigrants Crossing the Plains

7. Bierstadt, Emigrants Crossing Plain 1867.jpg

Title

Emigrants Crossing the Plains

Subject

Westward expansion, Manifest Destiny

Description

Redefined by territorial expansion in the mid-1800s, the boundary of the American West shifted from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, fueled largely by exploration and emigration along the Oregon Trail, among others.

Over the course of fifty years, almost 400,000 people traveled the 2,170-mile route, leaving their farms along the East Coast in hopes of securing fertile land in the Oregon Territory.

American artist Albert Bierstadt documented his journey on the trail, capturing the dramatic panoramas and indomitable spirit of the emigrants on his oversized canvases. With their rich colors and pristine details, these romanticized images roused an already fascinated American public to begin their own westward adventure.

Creator

Albert Bierstadt

Source

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
Oklahoma City, OK

Date

November 27, 1867

Rights

Public Domain

Format

Oil on canvas

67" x 102"

Language

English

Type

Still Image