Frederick Jackson Turner s Frontier Thesis - 1752 Words

David Turley History 4120 Dr. Dant Frederick Jackson Turner’s Frontier Thesis In 1893, at the 400th anniversary of the appearance of Columbus in the Americas celebrated in Chicago , Frederick Jackson Turner presented an academic paper entitled, â€Å"The Significance of the Frontier in American History† In this essay, Turner proposes that, â€Å"The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward explain American development.† The group dynamic that Turner champions is the farmer. More directly it is white, male farmers. While the expansion of the west by white male farmers was a factor in the development of America, it is not the only explanation for this progression. Turner fails to incorporate all of the demographics present during this expansion which were essential to the evolution of America. The first group Turner fails to credit is women. â€Å"†¦the only mention of the female sex in the entire essay†¦,† is when Turner states, â€Å"†¦Kit Carson’s Mother was a Boone.† While it was a positive thing to say, it didn’t f0cus on the woman, but on Kit Carson’s lineage. The part of women in colonization and culture is often seen as insignificant, but they have always worked alongside the men with equal duty or more, even though the recognition was not equal. The role of women during western expansion was not purely domestic however as the women would often take over the roles typically performed by men. The life of Mary BommeliShow MoreRelatedFrederick Jackson Turner S Frontier Thesis1157 Words   |  5 PagesFrederick Jackson Turner`s Frontier Thesis Frederick Jackson Turner was one of the most important theorists, North American historian, and author of Frontier Thesis. The Frontier Thesis postulated the centrality of expansion of western frontiers in the formation of American nationality and political consolidation of democracy in this nation, leaving a factual political history and introducing an interpretation grounded in economic and social factors. According to Turner, until the end of the nineteenthRead MoreAnalysis Of Frederick Jackson s Turner Frontier Thesis929 Words   |  4 Pagestransform their lives. However, due to mass immigration many were forced to face injustices, overcrowding, as well as questioning their identity. Riis and Turner were both concerned with the influx of immigrants and how the increase of people affected the American land. In Frederick Jackson’s Turner frontier thesis, he describes how important the frontier is to the development of America and how it allowed many to obtain a new life. He describes how Americans have managed to transform the wilderness littleRead MoreEssay on Two Part of the United States Reconstruction Era590 Words   |  3 Pages(â€Å"Reconstruction Era†). Frederick Jackson Turner argued that the frontier was the chief determinant in American history (â€Å"Frederick Jackson Turner†). Both the Reconstruction impact and Frederick Jackson Turner’s thesis play a role in the environment during the Economic Revolution. Reconstruction took placed in the South from 1865 to 1880. It impacted the United States’ history by holding the South back economically behind the North. The South did not catch up until the 1980’s and because of this, itRead MoreThe Significance Of The Frontier By Frederick Jackson Turner869 Words   |  4 Pages Frederick Jackson Turner s â€Å"The Significance of the Frontier† is, in his eyes, an accurate depiction of America s development since the Colonial Period. However, Turner s Frontier Thesis fails to discuss the involvement of two very specific groups of people, groups that certainly had too much of an effect on the progression of the country for him to safely leave out. Native Americans have a pivotal role in America s history, yet Turner s mentions of them in his thesis are extremely limitedRead MoreAmerican Imperialism : A Part Of United States History1463 Words   |  6 Pagesover other people s land. Authors like Frederick Jackson Turner, Alfre d Thayer Mahan, Albert J. Beveridge, Mark Twain, and William James all distinctive perspectives on U.S expansion and imperialism at the turn of the 20th century. Frederick Jackson Turner was a young American historian. Turner s commitment to American history was to argue that the frontier past best explained the history of the United States. On 1893, he introduced his essay â€Å"The Significance of the Frontier in American History†Read MoreThe Frontier Of American History1116 Words   |  5 PagesIn the Significance of the Frontier in American History, Frederick Jackson Turner discusses the understanding of the West as a concept. Turner’s claims included that the expansion into the frontier fueled individualism, stimulated democracy and nationalism, and widened the opportunity of advancement. In the census of 1890, the frontier no longer had a place in the report because the previously unsettled areas had been broken into areas of settlement. Turner uses the definition of two people per squareRead MoreRediscovering The American Frontier Of The United States882 Words   |  4 PagesRediscovering the American Frontier Humans have always had a sense of curiosity for the unknown and a greedy fascination for individual growth without seeing the repercussions on others. The United States culminates these qualities not only as a first-world country but it can also be seen from the very beginnings of the nation’s history. The philosophies’ of early settlers in the United States was to have equality between the people, however Americans failed to incorporate this ideology of equalityRead MoreThe Westward Expansion Of The United States960 Words   |  4 PagesWest, it is essential to keep in mind the myths that arose around the settling of the West in the second half of the 19th century. The historian Frederick Jackson Turner described a uniquely American personality forged by the experience of taming the wilderness and critical to the success and growth of the United States. The daily life of living on the frontier was filled with hard work and difficulties. Farming was the backbone of the expansion west; once a farmer cleared the land, built a cabin andRead MoreThe United States Identity During The Gilded Age1259 Words   |  6 Pagesdreams of having free land, your own freedom, and wealth for all people infatuate the nation and those who hear of the frontier; these myths created a â€Å"golden gilding â€Å" which masks the actual turmoil and issues in the United States. In 1863, historian, Frederick Jackson Turner lectured, â€Å"‘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 mobilityRead MoreAmerican Character - Then and Now2118 Words   |  9 PagesCharacter - Then and Now A notion that still holds strong today, Fredrick Jackson Turners idea of American character was one based on trials and experiences. Unlike Crevecour, Turner believed that American character was not simply a product of English character transported to America, but rather another idea altogether (Faragher 63). He expressed this opinion the best when he said, In the crucible of the frontier the immigrants were Americanized, liberated, and fused into a mixed race, English