George Washington with His Army Crossing the Delaware 1848

Edward Hicks created this painting of George Washington with His Army Crossing the Delaware sometime between 1830 and 1849. Hicks, raised in a devout Quaker household, turned to painting to supplement his income. This iconic scene, steeped in American Revolutionary lore, reveals complexities when viewed through a lens of identity and historical context. Hicks painted this well after the revolutionary war ended. The image reinforces the heroic narrative of Washington, central to American identity, while eliding other histories. The painting romanticizes the hardships endured, but what of those excluded from the narrative of heroism? What about the enslaved Africans whose labor supported the war effort and whose freedom remained elusive? Hicks was deeply troubled by the paradoxes of his time, particularly the conflict between his pacifist beliefs and the violence inherent in nation-building. As we gaze upon Washington's stoic figure, let’s reflect on whose stories are amplified and whose remain submerged in the currents of history.