Whirligigs have been made in America since at least the early nineteenth century, as the form seems to have been well established by the time the first literary reference was published in 1819; Washington Irving’s description in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, described a “little wooden warrior who, armed with a sword in each hand, was most valiantly fighting the wind on the pinnacle of the barn” –an image that is consistent with the Napoleonic hat and military uniform of this single-figure whirligig with paddle arms. This combines characteristics of both windmills and articulated dolls. When the wind rotates the arms, the figure spins around. More complex whirligigs may feature multiple figures and propellers or wheels that set off a series of activities when motivated by the wind. Soldiers have been a major source of imagery in American folk arts since the Revolutionary War. Rufus Porter sometimes included lines of Revolutionary War soldiers in the scenic landscapes he painted on interior walls, and soldiers were common as playthings for boys, teaching strategy skills and reinforcing the traditional male role as protector of home and country.

Stacy C. Hollander, "Standing Sentinel Whirligig," in American Anthem: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum (New York: Harry N. Abrams in association with American Folk Art Museum, 2001), 349.