¶ … America and controversial issue
According to historian Frederick Turner, America is by nature a 'pioneering' nation. It is distinctly different in its worldview from Europe, given that it has been founded upon the ideals of newness, expansiveness, and the drive to move forward. Americans are practical, self-reliant, and tough. Turner also suggested that Americans innately 'crave' the frontier to realize the full scope of their ambitions. Americans are hardy, and feel they can overcome any challenges. They disdain hierarchies based upon aristocracy, and instead value a person's merit and ability to rise to a challenge. In contrast, Oscar Handlin stressed America's identity as a nation of immigrants. Founded by people seeking refuge from persecution, Handlin saw the forging of the American character as something difficult, as it required bringing together people of vastly different cultures, all of whom had overcome tremendous challenges to arrive in America.
Americans who take the view that government should 'get off our backs' are likely to embrace the Turner model of America. This idealizes...
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