Westward Ho

Westward the Course of Empire takes its Way (1861) by the German American painter Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (1816–1868). This painting better known as "Westward Ho" decorates as a mural the United States Capitol Building.
It symbolizes Manifest Destiny, i.e. the belief that the United States was destined for Western expansion from the   Atlantic coast to the Pacific ocean.

Columbus before the Queen

Columbus before the Queen (1843) by the German American history painter Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (1816–1868).

Leutze depicted here the dramatic moment when Columbus was released from prison to defend his cause before the Catholic monarchs. On the floor are lying still his shackles indicating his imprisonment and the queen has turned her head away ashamed. Besides the magnificent costumes Leutze dedicated a great effort to the architecture on the Alhambra palace in Granada where the meeting took place.

Cortez in Mexico

Looking for images with conquistadore I found this: The Storming of the Teocalli by Cortez and His Troops (1848)

It's by the German American history painter Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (1816–1868) most famous for his painting Washington crossing the Delaware. Here he's using the same pyramidal composition, which he probably learned studying in Düsseldorf and München.

I don't know what the women are doing in the middle of that carnage. Maybe they should lift the dramatic effect.

National Myths

Painting history was an effort and an illusion typical for the 19th century. The effort was to construct something like national myths to help a process which is now called "nation building".
But the great illusion was, that history could be paintable.

Washington Crossing the Delaware, 1851
Painting from Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, American, 1816-1868