In the United States, the nineteenth century was a time of tremendous growth and change. The new nation experienced a shift from a farming economy to an industrial one, major westward expansion, displacement of native peoples, rapid advances in technology and transportation, and a civil war. In this lesson, works of art from the nineteenth century are paired with written documents, including literary selections, a letter, and a speech. As budding historians, students can use these primary sources from the nineteenth century to reconstruct the influence of technology, geography, economics, and politics on daily life.

If you enjoy this lesson, there's more! This lesson is one in a series of four which are adapted from the Gallery's free-loan teaching packet "Art &." The four lessons share a similar format, but focus on different areas of curriculum. Other topics include origin myths, heroes and heroines, and ecology.

• Learn about daily life in the United States in the 1800s through visual art and literature
• Understand some of the ways in which nineteenth-century life was affected by technology, geography, economics, and politics
• Apply critical-thinking skills to consider the various choices artists and writers have made in depicting daily life around them
• Make personal connections to the nineteenth century by placing themselves in the contexts of works of art and readings