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Freedom

Richard Caton Woodville, War News from Mexico, 1848, oil on canvas, 27 x 25 in. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2010.74. Photography by Edward C. Robison III.

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Smithsonian - Mexican War Lithograph

Richard Caton Woodville
‍War News from Mexico

  • What do you think is going on in this painting? Who are the people in this scene and what do you think they are doing?

This genre painting (scene of everyday life) represents the hierarchies of American society during the time period of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Only white men with the ability to vote appear within the stage-like space of the porch. A woman listens from the hotel interior, while an African American man and child sit on the steps near the ground. The presence of African Americans signals the debate ongoing at the time about whether slavery would spread to the regions ceded to the US by Mexico.

  • How do the various people in this scene respond to the “news”? What is the relationship between identity and the way we respond to information?
  • How does media and mass communication shape our society? How do you verify news stories, images, and other sources of false information?

Content Contributors

Exhibition sponsored by Kenneth C. Griffin

Learning and engagement programming for
We the People: The Radical Notion of Democracy is sponsored by:

Sarah and Ross Perot, Jr. Foundation | Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates, & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. | Johnny and Jeanie Morris, Bass Pro Shops | Alturas Foundation | Harriet and Warren Stephens, Stephens Inc. | Sotheby’s | Bob and Becky Alexander | Marybeth and Micky Mayfield | Lamar and Shari Steiger | Jeff and Sarah Teague / Citizens Bank | Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities | Avis and Bill Bailey | Scarlett and Neff Basore | June Carter Family | Terri and Chuck Erwin | Jackye and Curtis Finch | The Harrison and Rhonda French Family | Jim and Susan von Gremp | Laurice Hachem | Shannon and Charles Holley | Valorie and Randy Lawson / Lawco Energy Group | Donna and Mack McLarty | Steve and Susan Nelson | Neal and Gina Pendergraft | Helen Porter | JT and Imelda Rose | Lee and Linda Scott | Stella Boyle Smith Trust, Catherine and Michael Mayton, Trustees | William Reese Company

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