ipl-logo

Turner The Significance Of The Frontier In American History Summary

529 Words3 Pages

What did Turner say was officially closed?
Frederick Jackson Turner argued in his 1893 essay "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" that the American frontier had officially closed. According to Turner, this was a significant moment in American history because the frontier had been a crucial factor in shaping American identity, democracy, and individualism.
According to the author, American history had been the history of what process? Why? ccording to Frederick Jackson Turner, American history had been the history of a continuous process of westward expansion and settlement. In his essay, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History," he argues that "the existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward" has been the defining feature of American history (Turner, 1893).
In your own words, describe what the author meant in this quote. …show more content…

In his essay, Frederick Jackson Turner argued that the American Frontier was crucial to the development of American identity and democracy. He believed that the experience of settling and taming the West had created a uniquely American character that prized individualism, self-reliance, and independence. According to Turner, if Americans did not continue to have access to a frontier, they risked losing these essential qualities and becoming weak and dependent. Essentially, Turner believed that the Frontier was the key to America's success and survival as a nation.
What did the frontier promote for the American people?
According to Frederick Jackson Turner, the American Frontier promoted individual strength and democracy. He believed that the experience of living on the frontier forced Americans to become self-reliant and independent. The challenges and opportunities presented by the frontier helped to shape American identity and

Show More
Related

Frederic Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis In Columbian Exposition

57 Words | 1 Pages

In 1893 Frederic Jackson Turner a historian, introduces the “Frontier Thesis” in Columbian Exposition, he explains from this thesis about the importance of American history. Frontier thesis remarks the end of a great historic society. Because Frederic Jackson argues that continuous western settlement had an extraordinary impact on American social, political and economic development throughout 20th

Read More

Summary Of A Place Of Extremes By Susan Rhoades Neel

1070 Words | 5 Pages

Susan Rhoades Neel - A Place of Extremes: Nature, History, and the American West In her essay, Susan Rhoades Neel examines the significance of the environment of the American West when shaping western history by referring to and analyzing regional approaches claimed by Webb, Limerick, Worster, and White in order to deemphasize Frederick Jackson Turner's frontier thesis. In fact, most historians may regard Turner's theory as the most influential and adequate one in attempting at giving meaning to the mythical territory of western America as it offers a common sense for the entire American nation. Nonetheless, because of the particular emphasis on nature and the human - nature relation, new approaches have been developed in order to outline

Read More

Westward Expansion Dbq Essay

938 Words | 4 Pages

Manifest Destiny brought an age of expansion and exploration upon the United States throughout the 1800s. The vast Great Plains were unexplored, and held lots of promise and opportunity for new communities and businesses. With the establishment of the railroad system, transportation became much more reliable and efficient, sending a wave of settlers to the West. Railroad companies also posted many advertisements that encouraged settlers to buy plots of land for reasonable prices. The railroad during this time played a key role in Western Expansion by giving people access to fertile and open land, uniting communities together, and lowering transportation costs, but inflicted cruel treatment on those who worked on the railroads.

Read More

Railroad In Western Expansion Analysis

1010 Words | 5 Pages

The western area of the modern day United States remained largely unoccupied by American settlers for the first century of the country’s existence. The slow colonization was due to a variety of factors preventing successful, efficient, and safe occupation of the area. Likely one of the most influential factors was a simple logistical problem: traversing the continent prior to the advent of mechanized, overland transportation was extremely difficult, if not dangerous. This was not the only issue affecting would-be western settlers, but it was the first necessary challenge to overcome before any consideration of establishing a homestead. The development of a railroad network was the most important limiting factor in western settlement, and the

Read More

Frederick Jackson Turner Thesis During The 1893 Chicago World Fair

366 Words | 2 Pages

Frederick Jackson Turner first spoke to an audience about the Turner Thesis during the 1893 Chicago World Fair. This event was the central ground of American superiority. Many different business groups of diverse backgrounds met to share new products, values and aspects of their culture. Turner stated in one of his speeches at an American Historians seminar that the american frontier or the desire to settle in an area of open and free land will always remain in effect. Due to the lack of land to expand in our continent, America would look overseas.

Read More

Frederick Jackson Turner The Significance Of The Frontier In American History Summary

1008 Words | 5 Pages

Turner's is quite convincing. His assessment of the American westward expansion as a vital part of our history is undeniable. He asserts, "The growth of nationalism and the evolution of American political institutions were dependent on the advance of the frontier," 5 and

Read More

What Is The Theme Of Westward Expansion By Robert Morgan

1711 Words | 7 Pages

This nonfiction piece written by Robert Morgan, and explains westward expansion and other important historic events. This book also shares accurate accounts of multiple presidents and other important historical figures in ten very detailed chapters. These people include, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, John Chapman, David Crockett, Sam Houston, James K. Polk, Winfield Scott, Kit Carson, Nicholas Trist, and John Quincy Adams. The first chapter is all about the life of Thomas Jefferson.

Read More

Challenges Daniel Boone Faced When Beginning The Westward Expansion

948 Words | 4 Pages

The Challenges Daniel Boone Faced When Beginning the Westward Expansion The constant arrival of new immigrants to the American colonies found the new world becoming increasingly crowded, Daniel Boone took it upon himself to expand our nation westward. Challenges of crowded colonies sent Daniel Boone into the unexplored wilderness for the peace of nature he desired.

Read More

Anne Bruner Eales 'Army Wives On The American Frontier'

878 Words | 4 Pages

Anne Bruner Eales’ book, Army Wives on the American Frontier: Living by the Bugles, largely agrees with Fredrick Jackson Turner’s thesis. Both Turner and Eales have the idea that the American frontier shaped and changed people, creating a unique American. Throughout the three chapters of Eales’ book, there were similarities and differences between the chapters and Turner’s thesis. The two major similarities between Eales’ book and Turner’s thesis are the ideas of unique change in the people of the frontier and the frontier creating a unique American. The differences between Turner and Eales’ thoughts are very minor, Turners talks about generalized change in the American man and his family, whereas Eales talks about the change in women .

Read More

Native American History And Ava Turner's Interpretation Of History

1590 Words | 7 Pages

Turner hesitates to mention anyone in his essay who is not male or Germanic or at least European, leaving out huge demographics of people who heavily influenced the West. The lack of recognition for the people who actually built the country, with or without choice, is detrimental to history and representation later on in America. The Europeans that came to America had very oppressive laws of property which they carried over with them. The Natives who had been living there for years had a very different concept of property; many believed that the land was gifted to everyone and no one person could own any part of that land.

Read More

The Trans-Mississippi West

784 Words | 4 Pages

During the “Gilded Age” period of American history, development of the Trans-Mississippi west was crucial to fulfilling the American dream of manifest destiny and creating an identity which was distinctly American. Since the west is often associated with rugged pioneers and frontiersmen, there is an overarching idea of hardy American individualism. However, although these settlers were brave and helped to make America into what it is today, they heavily relied on federal support. It would not have been possible for white Americans to settle the Trans-Mississippi west without the US government removing Native Americans from their lands and placing them on reservations, offering land grants and incentives for people to move out west, and the

Read More

Response To Ms. Poston's Analysis

150 Words | 1 Pages

In response to Ms. Poston's question: one way that America could maintain its greatness was by alleviating poverty and educating the masses (From Urban Growing Pains, To Political Dysfunction & Corruption - 1870-1900, Slide 31). By accomplishing these two key objectives, America would be encouraging the furthering of technology and ideals, which is a concept that Natalie earlier touched. I also agree with Ms. Poston with the way she interpreted Turner, that the West was, in fact, closed. I believe that Americans probably felt both accomplished, as they achieved Manifest Destiny, and they felt let down, due to the fact that they had nowhere else to explore or discover(Redefining the South & the Final Conquest of the American West , Slide 30).

Read More

Late Nineteenth Century: Contrast To The American West

842 Words | 4 Pages

The contrasts between the American West and East in the nineteenth century range from a new start to the adventure of the living in the Wild West. The east had become overcrowded and did not allow much opportunity for people of lesser wealth. “In 1893, the historian Frederick Jackson Turner gave a celebrated lecture, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History,” in which he argued that on the western frontier the distinctive qualities of American culture were forged: individual freedom, political democracy, and economic mobility. The West, he added, acted as a “safety

Read More

Daniel Boone Essay

1568 Words | 7 Pages

With Boone’s courage, braveness, and determination, he opened a new frontier. Boone made it so the colonists could expand out west and explore the rest if the

Read More

Crevecoeur's Impact On The American Identity

1756 Words | 8 Pages

De Crevecoeur explains these individuals stating, “The Americans were once scattered all over Europe; here they are incorporated into one of the finest systems of population which has ever appeared” (Horwitz 27). De Crevecoeur believes that the frontier played a big role in the formation of the American identity because of the melting pot of different races, ethnicities, beliefs and cultures that was Americans then and are today. John Wannuaucon Quinney was a Native American and leader who highly supported Native American tribes. Quinney was very vocal about the negative impact the frontier played on the formation of American identity.

Read More

More about Turner The Significance Of The Frontier In American History Summary

Related Topics

Open Document