Dedicated in 1993, the last of three corridors of murals planned by Allyn Cox for the House wing of the Capitol depicts America’s westward expansion. The murals in this corridor were designed and painted by EverGreene Painting Studios, Inc., under the direction of principal artist Jeffrey Greene. Located in the western north-south corridor on the first floor, their subject is illustrated in ten barrel-and-groin-vaulted bays by maps and scenes showing the growth of the United States from early exploration through the acquisition of Alaska and Hawaii. The entire mural sequence concentrates on the native peoples, exploration, the establishment of the thirteen original colonies, and the territorial expansion of the country. Many of the scenes and elements focus on agriculture, including clearing and cultivation of the land. The maps and pictorial elements progress chronologically from the north end of the corridor to the south, and the styles in which the maps are painted vary to reflect standard map-making practice at the time each map represents.
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