Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Can artists affect the course of history? Michael Farris talks about one who did on this edition of Home School Heartbeat.

Michael Farris:
Throughout history, artists have often been on the cutting edge of their culture, frequently using their talents and notoriety to spread their political ideology.


Would you believe this is true of Paul Revere? He used his famous engraving, The Boston Massacre, to make a clear political statement. He published it just three weeks after that fateful event in March of 1770, portraying the British as brutes who killed innocent bystanders in broad daylight.


In reality, it was a bloody fight at night. Four men died on the spot and another later died of his wounds. Though Revere's engraving shows the British soldiers lined up ready to fight, both sides were riotous and disorderly. Omitted from Revere's painting are the snowballs, oyster shells, rocks, and sticks that had been thrown by the colonists earlier in the evening. Revere sought to encourage the anti-British sentiment through his art. It was no mystery whose side he was on.


Paul Revere's engraving, though not a completely factual representation of the event, did present an accurate picture of the popular opinion and helped spread the sentiment that eventually led to the American Revolution.


Art is a window into history, but we need to remember that artists sometimes deliver opinions, not just facts. This is especially true today, and that's something you don't want your kids to miss. I'm Mike Farris.