¶ … sentiment, enhanced by analysis and critical thinking from a variety of sources.
Frederick Jackson Turner's essay discusses the closing of the American western frontier, and what it means for the American people. The historical significance of the frontier movement cannot be denied, and Turner's question lingers, what will forge American history now that the dominance and dominion of the frontier has vanished? He eloquently writes, "American social development has been continually beginning over again on the frontier."
He notes many areas of the frontier movement have been studied, but economic and historic significance remains open to scrutiny. Thus, he sets up his thesis, that the frontier offers a "fertile field for investigation" and that there will certainly be problems and questions resulting from the ongoing investigation.
Turner gains the readers attention in the first few paragraphs, when he compares the American frontier to the European frontier and notes the differences between the two, and then continues in this vein with just how important the American frontier was to our social and political development as a nation and as a people. In addition, he notes that initially, European colonists to America kept their own individuality and society, but striking out into the frontier changed European colonists into true Americans, who gave up their Pilgrim finery for coonskin caps and canoes. As a result, the colonists find themselves slowly adapting to their new...
But he asserts that their cultural connections were far more tenuous with the East and with Europe, in contrast to costal states. Especially early on, the Western lands were poorly administered, based in the "common law" of the settlers, in the words of Henry Clay, rather than upon a model strict European administration. Turner calls the states of the frontier and the populist movements of the frontier almost primitive
1893, when Frederick Jackson Turner gave his landmark speech "The Significance of the Frontier in American History," it laid the foundation for future discussion relative to the American frontier. After more than one hundred years later, it is still a piece of comparison for new theories. Turner's work was followed by different other famous frontier theories throughout the first three-quarters of the twentieth century. Although few historians would call
What he postulated was that their greatness came from the control of the sea, especially the vital sea lanes and points, such as coaling stations for the steamship navies of the world. He felt that this had never been fully appreciated before and that it was his job to expound upon it. His work began in lecture format and later found its way into published book form. This led to
War for Cuban Conquest In 1883, Frederick Jackson Turner gave a speech to the World's Columbian Exposition, introducing what is now known as the "Turner thesis" of American history. This thesis says "continental expansion...was the driving, dynamic factor of American progress. Without [it] America's political and social institutions would stagnate. If one adhered to this way of thinking, America must expand or die." (Musicant) It was an odd moment to
From Turner's viewpoint, women's place was in the home, tending the crops and raising the children. However, if Turner could step out of his own cultural biases and see women on the frontier for their real contributions, his theories would have read differently. Migration to the west was done by families and family groups. Other than the early fur traders, later migrations involved family units. Women were the ones to
Southern California Frederick Jackson Turner is perhaps most well-known for his famous essay, "The Significance of the Frontier on American History." In this essay, Turner defines and supports his thesis that the history of the American West is the history of America. This theory directly correlates to the concept of Manifest Destiny put forth by Monroe in which the push westward and the subsequent development, it was believed, was man's
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