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Nineteenth-Century America in Art & Literature

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Art Inquiry: Jolly Flatboatmen and poem
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George Caleb Bingham, Jolly Flatboatmen (1846)
Steamboats replaced flatboats during the nineteenth century because the steamboats were larger, more powerful, and could move goods faster.

Learn more about this work of art by answering the multiple-choice questions below. Mouse over the image for clues!

1. What type of painting shows scenes from everyday life, like this one?

  1. Genre painting
  2. Portrait painting
  3. Narrative painting
  4. Landscape painting

2. What is a power source for flatboats?

  1. Wood
  2. Coal
  3. Manual labor
  4. Steam

3. What is the advantage of a steamboat over a flatboat for carrying cargo?

  1. They look better.
  2. More people can ride along.
  3. They carry loads of cargo more quickly.
  4. None of the above

4. What is the advantage of using a flatboat?

  1. It is faster.
  2. It can go through shallow water more easily.
  3. It takes less energy than other types of boats.
  4. All of the above
 
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George Caleb Bingham, The Jolly Flatboatmen, 1846, oil on canvas, The Manoogian Collection