In a brief paragraph, explain why the artist titled the painting American Progress.

Answer:

John Gast titled the painting American Progress because it serves as an allegory for Manifest Destiny, depicting the westward expansion of the United States as a noble and inevitable spread of civilization. The central figure, Columbia, brings light into the dark wilderness of the West, carrying symbols of education and communication like a schoolbook and telegraph wires. Behind her follow elements of modern technology and agriculture, such as railroads and plows, signifying that American settlers were bringing progress, industry, and enlightenment to the western frontier.