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America Guided by Wisdom
1820
John Barralett; Benjamin Tanner
USA: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Copperplate engraving with watercolor
overall: 19"h x 25-1/4"w
Special Acquisitions Fund
79.5.2

Colored engraving titled "America Guided by Wisdom"; scene shows allegorical figures of Minerva and Columbia, Mercury (Commerce) and Ceres, with mercantile goods, awaiting shipment by sailing vessel in background; in the middle ground, an equestrian statue of George Washington on the steps of a Classical temple; beneath image reads "America Guided by Wisdom: / An Allegorical Representation of the United States Denoting Their Independence and Prosperity. / DRAWN BY JOHN J. BARRALETT / ENGRAVED, BY B. TANNER. / DESCRIPTION / On the fore ground, Minerva, the goddess of Wisdom, is..."; reverse in pencil reads in part "Mrs. Johnson Wright."


This engraving offers a positive illustration of the results of the War of 1812. It was published shortly after the conflict ended in 1815 and shows an allegorical symbol of America with Minerva, the goddess of wisdom. The beehive symbolizes American industry, which was now free to grow and expand. And, the statue of Washington demonstrated ties to American strength and leadership, while also suggesting a growing tradition of American promise. The results of the war were unclear at best and a failure at worst. The Treaty of Ghent, which was signed on December 24, 1814, and effectively ended the war, merely allowed the United States and Britain to return to the pre-war status quo. The U.S. did not annex Canada, nor did it achieve any substantive victory over Britain. However, historians have noted that it was an important turning point for the new country, helping it to gain confidence as a nation and leading to expansionism in North America.



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