Historically speaking, Britain’s opinion of the colonists was not one that was held in very high regard. By studying a British painting of a group of women from the 18th century, it is obvious that the British developed harsh opinions towards Americans. The picture observed is of women who seem as though they are not taking any issues critically. They are uncivilized and not serious, going against the conventional lifestyle of that time. This depiction, a group of rebellious women, is exactly what the British thought every American was like during the late 18th century, and it is reflected very well in this painting. American Patriotism, if seen only through this picture, would appear to have been nonexistent and unorganized.
In the back of the picture there is a group of four women who are merrily drinking gin. They do not seem to have a care in the world or to be taking anything seriously. They are laughing, having a good time, and oblivious to the world. Because they are drinking gin and misbehaving they demonstrate a lack of discipline which develops an image of Americans. They are portrayed as rowdy and unable to control their own behaviors. The British believed that Americans needed their mother country to discipline them because they could never take care of themselves.
In the middle of the picture, there is much to be said about the American colonists. Going from left to right you would first come across a woman leaning over a table with her rear up in the air. In colonial times this was not considered the prim and proper behavior a colonial lady should have. Next you would come across a man fondling a woman. The idea of a man touching a woman in such a way, with other women around, concludes that American women are easy. This sort of action is something you should not find in a normal 18th century get together. Also, looking at the table, it appears as though there is a document on it which everyone is signing. The lady to the right appears to be signing the paper. This could imply that these unruly Americans are signing a political document. The two women to the right look to be extremely belligerent, and the one to the left is awfully ugly. Nowadays, the people in this picture would be depicted as independent and carefree. However, during the 1700s, behavior such as this was seen as demeaning to the British, and women from that time period should never be acquainted with such notions.
At the bottom of the painting you would see three things that should catch your eye: a child, a dog and empty containers of gin. First of all, a child should not be subjected to this sort of behavior. Also, the child should not be on the floor to crawl around with the empty bottles of gin because that is unsanitary and is not where children should be kept. The dog appears to be peeing since his leg is lifted up and the empty containers of gin are just lying on the floor. All of this signifies that Americans are dirty and unsanitary people. This just adds injury to insult.
In conclusion the British painter who painted this picture is definitely trying to get a message across to his people. That message would be that the American patriots, who are trying to separate themselves from Great Britain, are nothing but a bunch of drunk, dirty, irresponsible whores and non-gentleman who cannot fend for themselves let alone run their own country. The answer to why we wanted to separate from England is now apparent. If you were disrespected this way even you would want to fight against a country of people who could imply such atrocious things as this.
Our group met on Friday, September 17 at 3:20 in the JC. We came up with ideas and a rough draft together. Then, Jackie took everything home and typed it up. After she was finished, everyone sent more ideas via email to one another. After another draft was composed, Jackie sent everything to April and she edited the paper.
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