▁the ▁landscape ▁supported ▁and ▁extended ▁the ▁United ▁States ' ▁work ▁of ▁emp ire ▁building . ▁ ▁That ▁is , ▁the ▁images ▁of ▁Americans ' ▁possession ▁and ▁dom ination ▁of ▁the ▁landscape ▁supported ▁their ▁mission ▁of ▁emp ire . ▁ ▁East man ' s ▁images ▁recorded ▁the ▁emp ire ' s ▁reach ▁into ▁the ▁north west ▁and ▁helped ▁sp ur ▁it ▁on . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁regard , ▁East man ▁was ▁working ▁on ▁a ▁similar ▁mission ▁to ▁the ▁landscape ▁pain ters ▁who ▁were ▁working ▁from ▁private ▁comm issions . ▁Near ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁career , ▁at ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁Lieutenant ▁Colonel , ▁East man ▁was ▁commission ed ▁by ▁the ▁House ▁Committee ▁on ▁Military ▁Affairs ▁to ▁paint ▁pictures ▁of ▁sevent een ▁important ▁for ts . ▁ ▁He ▁completed ▁these ▁paint ings ▁between ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁and ▁ 1 8 7 5 . ▁ ▁One ▁controvers ial ▁painting ▁was ▁Death ▁Who op , ▁which ▁was ▁twice ▁removed ▁from ▁display ▁because ▁of ▁negative ▁comments ▁from ▁view ers , ▁as ▁it ▁port rayed ▁an ▁Indian ' s ▁scal ping ▁a ▁white ▁man . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁the ▁paint ings ▁were ▁displayed ▁again ▁in ▁the ▁Capit ol ▁Building . ▁ ▁Works ▁ ▁S eth ▁East man , ▁Tre at ise ▁on ▁Top ographical ▁Draw ing , ▁New ▁York : ▁W iley ▁and ▁Put nam , ▁ 1 8 3 7 . ▁His ▁text book ▁on ▁the ▁techniques ▁of ▁map - making ▁and ▁map - reading ▁was ▁made ▁mand atory ▁for ▁all