" The Spirit of 76 " , 7 Versions By Artist Archibald Willard 🇺🇸 ( 1836 - 1918 )

" The Spirit of '76 ",  By Artist Archibald Willard

Representatives from the 13 original colonies signed the Declaration of Independence of the United States on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from British sovereignty. Willard created this patriotic landscape in remembrance of the momentous event over a century later. As he witnessed a joyous procession pass through the town square of his hometown in Ohio, he was inspired.

In the painting, three men of varied ages march over the battlefield, proclaiming their triumph. We can practically hear "Yankee Doodle" being played (the song was originally written in 1755 by British soldiers to poke fun at the disheveled American military, but by 1776 the Americans had adopted it and turned it into a source of patriotic pride). In the foreground, a wounded US soldier waves in what may be his dying act. Soldiers lift their bayonets in joy as the American flag appears through cannon smoke, alluding to the birth of a new nation.

"The Spirit of '76" (also known as "Yankee Doodle") became one of the most well-known paintings linked with the American Revolutionary War. It debuted in the 1876 World's Fair in Philadelphia. "The Spirit of 76" was a huge success, delighting everyone from regular spectators to President Ulysses Grant. The earliest version of the artwork, titled Yankee Doodle, debuted in 1876, on the 100th anniversary of the Revolutionary War. A. M. Willard then created numerous other variants. These are symbols of the energy that propelled the American Revolution to victory. The fabled 13-star banner flutters over the oncoming army's thirteen pitiful battalions. They continue on as local tales of liberation, images of inspirational courage, often imitated for the purpose of levity.

" The Spirit of 76 " 1875 , 7 Versions By Artist Archibald Willard 🇺🇸 ( 1836 - 1918 )

" The Spirit of 76 " , circa 1876 , 7 Versions By Artist Archibald Willard 🇺🇸 ( 1836 - 1918 )

" The Spirit of 76 " , 1916 , 7 Versions By Artist Archibald Willard 🇺🇸 ( 1836 - 1918 )

" The Spirit of 76 " , 1876 , 7 Versions By Artist Archibald Willard 🇺🇸 ( 1836 - 1918 )

" The Spirit of 76 " , 1776 , 7 Versions By Artist Archibald Willard 🇺🇸 ( 1836 - 1918 )

" The Spirit of 76 " , 1912 , 7 Versions By Artist Archibald Willard 🇺🇸 ( 1836 - 1918 )

" The Spirit of 76 " , 1912 , 7 Versions By Artist Archibald Willard 🇺🇸 ( 1836 - 1918 )