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Secondary sourcePainting1870

Washington and His Generals

Alexander Hay Ritchie · 1870

An 1870 engraving showing George Washington surrounded by his officers, including Nathanael Greene, reflecting his remembered status as Washington's trusted subordinate.

This engraving groups Greene among Washington's generals, reflecting his remembered rank as Washington's most trusted subordinate.

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Colored engraving showing George Washington standing in a formal room with a green-draped table, surrounded by many officers in 18th-century military uniforms, some seated and some standing, with a red flag and a large painting on the wall.
Washington and His Generals, engraving by Alexander Hay Ritchie, 1870.

About this source

What it is

This is a colored engraving made in 1870 by Alexander Hay Ritchie. It shows George Washington standing in a formal room surrounded by many officers in eighteenth-century military uniforms.

Why it matters

Created decades after the Revolutionary War, this engraving reflects how Americans in the nineteenth century wanted to remember Washington and his generals as a unified group of heroes. Nathanael Greene's inclusion among them reflects his reputation as one of Washington's most trusted and capable subordinates.

Look closer

  • Why might an artist in 1870, long after the war, choose to create this scene?
  • What does grouping these men together suggest about how the artist wanted viewers to think of them?
  • What details in the uniforms or setting look accurate, and what might be imagined?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Nathanael Greene on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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