One Country, United

In the aftermath of the Civil War, President Ulysses S. Grant commissioned a set of paintings representing Liberty and Union

To celebrate the glory of the nation, “The Genius of America,” circa 1868, was painted by French artist Adolphe Yvon during the aftermath of the Civil War. Oil on canvas. Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri. Public Domain

When Ulysses S. Grant entered the president’s office in 1869, echoes of the Civil War tensions that he helped to resolve still reverberated in his mind—and in the nation at large. In response, he commissioned a set of paintings to represent the Union’s indivisibility and to symbolize the nation’s post-war recovery.

“Liberty” by Constantino Brumidi is mounted on the ceiling of the White House entrance hall. White House Historical Association. Public Domain