The American Dream of Manifest Destiny began to take the nation by storm during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, an era of westward expansion and exploration . A breathtaking land has been discovered; however, Congress was more concerned with modernizing and sprucing up the land than with caring for and preserving its beauty. Thomas Moran took it upon himself, along with other artists and photographers, to capture this wonderful land and hide it for future generations. In Moran's painting, "Tower Falls and Sulfur Mountains, Yellowstone," Moran creates an image that inspires the viewer to have adventures and discover more about the world around them. Moran's painting reveals the beauty of Yellowstone and expresses the importance of getting out into nature and exploring. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayMoran was born in 1837 in Bolton, Lancashire and moved to the United States of America when he was seven years old. His parents were handloom weavers but, due to industrialization during the 1900s, both his parents lost their jobs. Because of this, his family was forced to move to Kensington, Philadelphia. Once he turned sixteen, he began working at a wood engraving company and began to take his art seriously. Edward Moran, brother of Thomas Moran, was also an artist and helped teach and critique Thomas Moran's artistic work. Thomas used his talents along with other artists, writers and photographers to capture the beauty of Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. As mentioned earlier in the essay, manifest destiny was a popular concept during the nineteenth century. Citizens believed that “the United States had a God-given right and duty to expand its territory and influence throughout North America.” During this time Congress encouraged citizens to move west and settle the land, however settling the land would endanger treasured landmarks such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. Congress did not understand the importance of preserving these features and ignored those who pushed for the creation of national parks. Because the desire of citizens to move westward was so great at that time, Congress did not want to be bothered by seemingly unimportant matters such as the creation of parks. Moran's paintings inspire people to get out and explore the world. In this painting, Moran conveyed this feeling by using bright, yet earthy colors to generate feelings of a calm, yet mysterious place. Throughout the painting, the viewer can capture the beauty of Yellowstone. The jagged lines along the rocks help the audience perceive the texture and give the painting a more realistic appearance. In 1872, shortly after Moran created this piece and presented it to Congress, Congress passed "An Act Establishing Yellowstone National Park" and officially began preserving and protecting Yellowstone. National parks not only preserve unique landmarks, but also provide a safe place for people to go and explore the world around them. Exploring nature can improve mental and physical health and can help increase your knowledge of the world around you. One research project showed that “people who live near or spend time in 'open, undeveloped land with natural vegetation'... have lower rates of disease, longer sleep duration, and less salivary cortisol (an indicator of stress) compared to people with less access to green spaces". A similar study conducted in 2010 showed that.