Artist John Gadsby Chapman was commissioned in1837 to create a painting for the U.S. Capitol. The Baptism of Pocahontas was completed in 1839 and hung in the Rotunda in 1840. The historical context of the setting is based upon the physical characteristics of the original Jamestown church as detailed by a local resident and historical research findings by the artist. Following the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson authored a series of treaties justifying the westward expansion of settlers. Without the British Army to defend them, Creeks, Cherokees, and Chickasaws, were helpless against the encroachment of white settlers on their land. In order to maintain the rate of expansion, the Federal Government erected military forts throughout the