Frederick Jackson Turner The Significance Of The Frontier Thesis Summary

The American Frontier marks the origin of American History. European settlement on the Atlantic Coast and eastern rivers eventually led to the westward expansion that created the United States we know today. Historian Frederick Jackson Turner wrote a thesis regarding the frontier and gives an in depth explanation of how the American frontier is the most influential aspect of American History. His frontier thesis, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History," was delivered in 1893 and has continued to influence historical thinking since then. Turner manages to expose how the frontier allowed the Europeans that settled in America to become Americans by moving westward and developing their own ideas. In addition, his thesis also covers how the frontier affected many different areas of American History which shows how all American history somehow leads back to the frontier. Other historians …show more content…
Turner showed such a deep background in the frontier’s significance in decreasing the settler’s ties with England. Further, he explained the frontier’s impact on milestones that changed America forever, such as railroads and manufacturing. Turner’s account was also very different from other historians who touched on American history. He proved the frontier influenced more than just politics, as Hofstadter 's paranoid style did, and more the minds of Americans which led to events like the Revolution. In the same way, his position demonstrated that the frontier affected many time periods in American History like farming and industrialization, unlike Beard’s which covers only the Constitutional period. Undoubtedly, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History” is the greatest commentary on American History and will impact historical thinking for a very long