The Squatters 1850

George Caleb Bingham painted "The Squatters," an oil on canvas, sometime in the mid-19th century. During this period of westward expansion, the term "squatter" described settlers occupying land without legal title, a loaded term reflecting tensions between individual freedom and governmental control. Bingham's portrayal invites reflection on themes of identity, class, and the American Dream. The painting depicts a family and their dog outside a rough-hewn cabin. The composition suggests a life of both self-reliance and precarity. The artist captures a moment of pause, a quiet resistance against the march of so-called progress. "The Squatters" challenges conventional narratives of American expansion by humanizing those on the margins. The artwork encourages us to consider the complex social dynamics that were shaping the nation, and the human cost of territorial expansion. Bingham asks us to consider how these figures felt about their place in a rapidly changing world.