USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The centerpiece of the painting, the woman in white represents the potential freedom and enlightenment that Americans would bring to the West.

Detailed explanation-2: -The central female in the image is called Columbia. She is carrying a schoolbook in one hand and a string of telegraph wire in the other. The image has been interpreted to represent the passage of time from left (past) to right (future).

Detailed explanation-3: -She is the figure of “Progress", and on her forehead is a gold star, the “Star of Empire.” In her proper right arm she holds a book, and telegraph wire is looped around her elbow. In her proper left hand she is trailing the telegraph wire westward.

Detailed explanation-4: -The angel, a symbolic representation of American ideals and the Manifest Destiny philosophy, carries light towards the western frontier. In the painting the western frontier is represented as dark.

Detailed explanation-5: -Destiny is represented by the large, angel-like person in the middle, who is leading the pioneers. She is the central figure of Columbia. This symbolizes that westward expansion was their destiny. The direction is represented by how the pioneers are traveling from the east to the west.