During the end the 18th century, American art not only helped fuel the fire for independence, it preserved those days of struggle as an empirical foundation for future generations of Americans. Examples of paintings of the revolution abound. Etchings by American Hero Paul Revere stirred America's will to fight, while paintings by John Trumbell helped preserve the events and people that lead America to its independence. Although using different genres, each artist painted from a similar perspective, that of staunch Patriotism. Yet, there are two sides to any conflict, and one must take both sides perspectives into account. It is important to remember that history is often subjectively portrayed with many inherent biases.
             Propoganda and war go hand and hand. The object is to make a cause seem "just" or "righteous" while making the opposing side seem as if they are spawned from the root of all evil. Propagandized material often results in exaggerations or blatant mistruths. This is the case prior to the onset of the Revolutionary War. Paul Revere's etching of the Boston Massacre is a perfect example of how art can be used to sway public opinion. The etching's iconography describes British redcoats firing on well-dressed men and women peacefully protesting England's taxation without representation. Colonials lie dying and bleeding as the British continue to fire with smug demeanors. As the authors Robert Devine, T.H. Breen, George M. Fredrickson, and R. Hal Williams wrote: "In subsequent editions, the blood spurting from the dying Americans became more conspicuous."(Divine, Breen, Fredrickson, and Williams: 137) The etching became a bestseller and spurred intense reaction among colonials. The British, confronted with the possibility of a mass armed revolt, were forced to move their army to an island in Boston Harbor. The etching became a symbol to the colonial Americans of Briti...