The Significance of the Frontier in American History

Frederick Jackson Turner undertook his hugely influential text ‘The Significance of the Frontier in American History’. It described it as a monumental event in American history as America sought to find and establish its exact culture in the modern world. They were distinctly different from their colonial past but where exactly along the way did they morph into their present day state. Turner stated that it was the press westwards that had transformed settlers into Americans. Their conquering of the wilderness firmly established civilisation and allowed America to grow. The manifestation of a civilisation born out of wilderness came in the cowboy. A masculine, white and brave character that…

Before Frederick Turner’s essay “The Significance of the Frontier in American History”, the section begins with how influential the essay is and a bit of history about it. It continues by commenting how Turner may not be looked at as much of a historian anymore, but his work it still important. The rest of the passage is the essay. It starts with how different the European Frontier was from the American one, it is a vast open expanse where few people live, and Indian tribes dot the landscape.…

The period of American Imperialism between 1891 and 1916 improved not only American industrial growth, but the location of lands we acquired (such as Hawaii) gave us an advantage in world wars that proved to be critical. Many of the justifications given for this period of American Imperialism were reasonable and some were not. The idea of raw materials and new markets for American manufactured goods was an unrelenting force that took America out of its isolationist state, and for good reason. …

The audience for this interview includes a variety of groups of people. They consist of: the people interested in American history, the people who are enthusiasts of Frederick Jackson Turner, and the average historian. This interview is geared towards exploiting the hidden connotations of Turner’s article. Purpose of the interview: The purpose of the interview is for me and the audience to gain a better understanding of Turner’s article. It is to question why he believes what he believes. I, as…

of information. One of the leading thesis he developed was “The Significance of the Frontier in American History”. It was a speech where he made it known that the American frontier was closed. His idea came from the 1890 United States census, which told the tale of how the population had reached at least two people per square mile. Turner’s “The Significance of the Frontier in American History”, the model for understanding American History. With the research of the…

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…

over three decades, illustrated the influence of American Westward expansion, western culture, and sectionalism on American Society. In his paramount work “The Significance of Westward Expansion,” originally published in 1893, Turner examines the importance of the Frontier on nineteenth century American institutions and culture. According to Turner, historians should view the events and advancements which occurred in the century since the formation of the republic through the larger context of…

the document, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History”, by Frederick J. Turner, examines the American Frontier and all of his theories. This frontier is “the meeting point between savagery and civilization” (200). The cruel and fierce part of this world meeting the courteous and humanized kind. It is the point in which these opposing traits meet. This frontier is a potent method to use for Americanization. The best way to learn American history is to study the American frontier…

Turner’s Frontier Thesis is dedicated to supporting the role of the American frontier and its significance in shaping America today. Without the early American pioneers’ steadfast ambition to separate from British power and declare their own independence, this American frontier would never have transpired. Hence, it is due to the frontier theory that the land stretching from the east to the west coast is declared the United States of America. Not only was the land being conquered by these…

read his paper “The Significance of the Frontier in American History” before an audience of some two hundred historians assembled in Chicago for the “World’s Columbian Exposition.” Yet, Turner’s essay remains the classic expression of the “frontier thesis.” Turner was mostly ignored at the time but eventually Turner's lectures gained such wide distribution and influence that a contemporary scholar has called it "the single most influential piece of writing in the history of American history."…