Jazz in American Politics

I was interested in Jazz and how it affected America in the mid 20th century. After reading more about Jazz in Lisa Davenport's Jazz Diplomacy along with Satchmo Blows up the World by Penny Von Eschen, I decided to write a little about what I learned.

Jazz played an important role in American political strategy during the cold war years. Eisenhower used Jazz in his world wide cultural exchange program that began in 1954. The purpose of using Jazz was to reshape the perceptions of American democracy. During this long conflict with the Soviet Union the United States struggled to keep a positive world image when it came to race relations. The Civil Rights Movement was covered internationally through the media and many viewed the U.S. as a hypocrite nation. They saw the cruelest of injustices within the borders of the nation that promoted freedom and democracy. This issue was a defeat for the U.S. and a victory for the Soviet Union. This is why the government sent Jazz bands on tour around the world, to be ambassadors for the U.S. and show that African-Americans are valued and successful. Among these groups sent abroad were Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Duke Ellington.


Jazz was also a tool used by African-Americans to promote political and social change at home in the U.S. Jazz emerged from black culture and was used in expressing black identity. Jazz became a symbol of black alienation in a white supremacist society. Many black artists used these perceptions and features of Jazz to make political statements. Some say that the music paralleled the Civil Rights movement. The Harlem Renaissance helped influence this musical activism in the 1950’s and ‘60’s. One of the most explicit of this politically charged music was Max Roach’s “We insist: Freedom Now Suite”.

There were some Jazz musicians who used artistic achievement to gain America’s attention rather than political activism. One of these musicians is Duke Ellington. Some purists claim that Ellington along with others chose to conform to the new cold war politics instead of sticking with the traditional identity of Jazz. But, I believe Ellington was able to keep the African-American identity and feel along with making his name known throughout the world. He was able to make great contributions to America politically through his international tours as well as culturally with his modern big band Jazz. He was also the father of swing. Here is a clip of Ellington and his band playing on of his famous swing melodies, Satin Doll.

Thomas Moran and “Mary’s Veil”

Thomas Moran is well known for his majestic landscape paintings of the Rocky Mountains, especially those of Yellowstone, the Tetons and Yosemite. The Brigham Young University Museum of Art displays his rather small painting of a waterfall found in Utah’s Bullion Canyon in the Fish Lake National Forest. Though this painting is only a twelve inch by seven inch oil on board painting, it has significant cultural value to America. Moran’s “Mary’s Veil, A Waterfall in Utah”, is an example of American ideals and social norms because it, along with others, encouraged others to protect the “sacred landscapes” by creating national parks, and also attracted western expansion and exploitation of the natural resources that were available (“Works”).

The background of Thomas Moran will help to illustrate the significance of his western paintings. He was born in Bolton, England in 1837. His father brought the family to America after having trouble finding work as a result of the industrial revolution. They settled in Pennsylvania where his brother Edward began a career as an artist. Thomas followed right after his brother and started working with him in his artwork. He was informally instructed by several Philadelphia painters and began creating accomplished paintings in the 1860’s. His style most closely resembles the Hudson River School style. Thomas and his brother were influenced by the English painter J.M.W. Turner. One of the most prominent characteristics common to both Moran and Turner is the idea that the artist has the right to use artistic license or liberties when creating any painting. In 1866 Moran went to Europe with his brother to study European masters including Turner and to exhibit some of his work. At this point he was yet to visit the place that would most capture his attention and launch his career; the American west.

The first time he traveled to the American frontier was in 1871 where he saw Yellowstone for the first time. When he saw this land and all of the rugged marvels it contained he knew it was a subject he wanted to portray in his artwork. He joined a survey party traveling the region and created numerous sketches and watercolor paintings for easterners to see the first images of the famous region. He traveled with the famous F.V. Hayden, a geologist, and William Henry Jackson, a photographer. Together they supplied the first in depth description including images of this region and it proved to be an effective tool when they began to promote this region to be protected under federal law by creating a national park. Moran’s images captured the viewer’s attention by the dramatic, sublime, and overwhelming way he portrayed nature. His landscapes were heroic and full of solitude. Although the wilderness is portrayed as rough and wild it conveys a feeling a hope and peace. These are all characteristics of the Hudson River School style and it was effective in portraying the beauty uniqueness of the Yellowstone region. His images, along with the photographs of Jackson, played a key role in the decision of congress to grant Hayden his request to make Yellowstone a national park and preserve its natural beauty for future generations.

Following his expeditions in Yellowstone, Moran joined John Wesley Powell in Utah for Powell’s second trip to the Grand Canyon in 1873. Moran’s painting “Mary’s Veil, A Waterfall in Utah” was created while journeying to Arizona. This painting depicts just a small portion of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountain wilderness. Depictions of natural wonders such as Mary’s Veil waterfall attracted Americans to leave the crowded cities and come west where there was opportunity, solitude, and beauty. The Transcontinental Rail Road used Moran’s images as advertisements to promote business and travel. Miners, trappers, and settlers were traveling west to take advantage of the natural resources such as gold, furs, and open land. The waterfall in Moran’s painting was an actual site for gold miners in rural Utah. This expansion and progress helped move America forward, but there was debate about which lands should be used for economic purposes and which lands should be protected and preserved. Moran’s paintings attracted people from both sides of the debate. That debate still goes on today.

Today, Moran’s paintings are displayed in museums all over America because of their cultural impact and, of course, for their beauty and majesty. I went to view his painting “Mary’s Veil, A Waterfall in Utah” at the BYU Museum of Art. It was compelling to me because of the vastness and expanse that is portrayed even in such a small painting and with a narrow view of the waterfall. The sky at the top of the painting seems endless and unreachable. It seems nostalgic and untouched by humans. It feels like a pure wilderness and there is almost something spiritual about it. The light is soft and radiant which I think adds to the peaceful feeling of the painting even though the power of nature is very much real. The brush strokes are jagged and smeared with an unfinished quality. That is the view from close up, but when you step back all of the smears work together and creates a very different feel. It is beautiful and almost magical in how it transforms. That is a bonus for see a painting in person; you can see it from different points of view. These are all characteristics of the Hudson River School style of painting.

One thing about Moran that might differ from the Hudson River style might be his lack of a literal depiction of the landscape. He once said, “I place no value on literal transcripts from nature. My general scope is not realistic; all my tendencies are towards idealization… topography in art is valueless” (“Thomas”). Perhaps this is why his paintings were so popular and adored by Americans. They are very beautiful and capture the wonder of the natural world of the west, but maybe not always in a completely realistic way. Maybe he was just trying to depict the beauty he saw and felt as he experienced nature not just what he saw in a photograph. I think that is what makes it so appealing. It caters to our imaginative minds. But I do believe in many paintings he has captured the real beauty and reality of nature and that is why I find his work so great. For these reasons I think the cultural and aesthetic aspects of Moran’s paintings are inseparable.

Looking and the work and life of Thomas Moran is culturally significant to America and it’s westward expansion and economic development as well as the higher ideal of preserving natural lands that are unique and beautiful. His painting “Mary’s Veil, A Waterfall in Utah” is an example of his significant paintings. Many Americans today take time to enjoy nature by taking advantage of the national parks available and all benefit from what America has become today.

Works Cited

“Thomas Moran.” National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. 2010 .

“The Hudson River School.” Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2010 .

“American Landscape Painting: The Hudson River School.” The School for New Learning, DePaul University, Chicago, IL. 1998 .

“Works of Art: Related to Thomas Moran.” Brigham Young University Museum of Art. 2010 .