Frederick Jackson Turner's Impact On American Character And Culture
Frederick Jackson Turner was an American historian who argued that the frontier played a decisive role in shaping the American character and culture. Among the many effects of the frontier experience, Turner attributed one significant effect to American culture: rugged individualism. According to Turner, the frontier created a culture that emphasized self-reliance and independence. The challenging conditions of the frontier forced people to depend on themselves and their own resources, which led to a sense of self- reliance and rugged individualism in American culture. The frontier experience also fostered a sense of democracy and egalitarianism, as social class distinctions were less relevant in a frontier environment. This sense …show more content…
As the frontier closed, land became scarcer, and the demand for resources increased. This spurred innovation and technology, leading to the rise of industries such as steel, oil, and manufacturing. Urbanization and the growth of cities increased, creating new job opportunities and attracting workers from rural areas. However, this also created new challenges, such as labor disputes, environmental issues, and urban poverty. It also led to the displacement of indigenous people and their way of life, which is another negative impact of the frontier's closing. Overall, the closing of the frontier was a turning point in American history, marking the end of one era and the beginning of another. By transforming the economy and society, it laid the groundwork for the United States to become the global superpower it is today.During the period between 1865 and 1898, one additional factor that shaped American culture and character was the westward expansion and settlement of the frontier. The promise of land, opportunities for economic growth, and the idea of Manifest Destiny drove Americans to venture beyond the Mississippi River and into the
Reasons For The American Empire In The 1800s
312 Words | 2 PagesThe major reasons for the United States to develop an empire in the 1800s were the closing of the American frontier, economics, religious and moral reasons, and geopolitics(Schultz,2014). The closing of the American frontier included acquiring new frontier from other countries. Americans believed that the “Wild West” frontier was so integral in shaping America, that we might require a new frontier in order to ensure the survival of its democracy. Economic reasons for the 1800s growth was for business leaders to access overseas markets and materials. They knew they would receive federal assistance and protection from the government.
America's Economy Its Frontier Lawrence Shames Summary
1170 Words | 5 PagesLawrence Shames has a great concept of America and its culture. In the ‘Major Factor’ he said ‘ America’s economy is its frontier.' This is true. From 1800’s the America is digging to get into the new world through growth and development and generating revenue. In Texas, the new towns were built up, and a railroad was built nearby.
Western Frontier Individualism
181 Words | 1 PagesIn my opinion and based on readings I think that the western frontier fostered values of American democracy and individualism. Moving west allowed settlers and even immigrants the opportunity to make a new life for them and their families. The “Gold Rush” and mining for other precious metals such as silver, copper, lead and iron brought many people west to explore and find riches. Many cities such as Virginia City, Nevada were industrialized and colonized by those who wanted to find riches in those precious metals. Many of these settlers were immigrants, it is noted that the Utah Territory, that eventually became known as Nevada, had about 30 percent of people settling that were from outside the United States, compared to 25 percent in New
Why Was The American Frontier Closed
999 Words | 4 PagesIn American Society during the 1800s, the Frontier was a land full of mysticism, mystery, adventure, and potential. The idea of American pioneers, explorers, and travellers conquering the formidable and uncivilized Frontier carried a sense of allure among American Society, which corresponded to fashioning the American identity associated with expansion, determination and perseverance. Fredrick J. Turner’s The Significance of the Frontier in American History, explores the concept of overcoming the challenges of the Frontier and, by overcoming these challenges, helping to craft aspects of the American identity, portraying the Frontier as a land in need of taming, a land that is “the meeting point between savagery and civilization”. It was the Frontier, Turner argued, that helped to construct the identity of America, an identity associated with vanquishing problems with resolution and hard work.
Frederick Jackson Turner Frontier Thesis
794 Words | 4 PagesAccording to Turner, as the frontier line moved further west, European norms were abandoned and settlers had to rely on their own strengths, which in turn resulted in individualism. From this innovation, new ways of governing and democracy evolved. The audience can infer that Turner was fearful that the characteristics unique to being American such as, “strength, inventiveness, and dominant individualism,” would diminish with the disappearance of an apparent
The Significance Of The Frontier In Jack London's To Build A Fire
698 Words | 3 PagesThe stories by Frederick Jackson Turner and Jack London are recognized to be the benchmarks of facing the great frontier in the way that they view the aspect of the wilderness and how it has a great effect on man and his ability to survive. However, the authors themselves could not have been more different in their approach about the subject. Frederick Jackson Turner credits the American frontier as the one main focus in shaping the American character. In The Significance of the Frontier in American History, he expresses the journey that is “The result is that to the frontier the American intellect owes its striking characteristics.” (Turner 1136).
American Frontier Expansion
725 Words | 3 PagesAs Turner pointed out, his own views on how he believes that the American frontier was formed by the different characteristics of the people who made it happen and formed America. He states that the attraction to the frontier made a dramatic change to America and the West due to the different cultures each race brought unto the country allowing each one to accept as well change persons perspective of each others culture. (Turner, 1996.) The frontier helped everybody make a part of the history because of the necessities the frontier helped provide. It was and it continues to be a part of history because the frontier continues to change peoples life as they still continue
Westward Expansion Thesis
1324 Words | 6 PagesThroughout the 19th century European settlers in the United States were enthralled by Westward expansion, furthermore, defining the Western region of the country as the ‘frontier’ to represent the challenges and opportunities expanding West would institute. Westward expansion was significantly driven by the concept of Manifest destiny which describes the idea that Europeans have the divine power and inherent right to expand across North America (Burton, January 17th, 2023). Westward expansion was legally encouraged and endorsed by the federal government through the Homestead act of 1862. The Homestead Act encouraged Westward migration/ settlement by offering land grants to settlers from the East willing to migrate to the West to develop the land.
Jackson Turner Frontier Thesis
790 Words | 4 PagesFrontier Thesis by Fredrick Jackson Turner There are many influences that shaped American history since the colonization of the new world. There exist many theories that suggest which variables and factors are most influential. American historian Fredrick Jackson Turner played a role in discussing such influences that ultimately shaped the way historians look at American history. Fredrick Jackson Turner was born in the midst 1800s and died early 1900s. He attended Harvard University and is widely known for his famous thesis that he wrote in 1891.
Nat Turner And The American Revolution
301 Words | 2 PagesNat Turner was born into slavery in 1800 and was a spiritual leader among his fellow slaves (Wood 1). Turner believed himself to be prophet and claimed to have visions from God, in which he foresaw an “attack directly the institution of slavery,” and a spiritual battle between white and black spirits (Vox 2). A solar eclipse in February of 1831 was seen by Turner as his sign to strike against the institution of slavery and on August 21st of the same year he did, killing his owner’s family. Together with a group of slaves Turner continued his reign of terror across the county, raiding houses, recruiting more followers, and killing all whites they encountered. By the time word had spread of this rebellion Turner already had 50 men, including
The Frontier Thesis Analysis
1611 Words | 7 PagesTurner 's proposition depends on the possibility that "easterners … in moving to the wild agitated grounds of the outskirts, shed the trappings of progress … and by reinfused themselves with an energy, an autonomy, and an innovativeness that the wellspring of American vote based system and national character." (Cronon) While this thought appears like a delightful hypothesis of why Americans are extraordinary, it depends on the idea that the Frontier was "a zone of free land," which isn 't the situation, undermining the hypothesis ' validity. (Turner) The scene of precolonial America was not so inadequately populated the same number of think.
Late Nineteenth Century: Contrast To The American West
842 Words | 4 PagesThe 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
Frederick Jackson Turner The Significance Of The Frontier In American History Summary
1008 Words | 5 PagesFrederick Jackson Turner This paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze Frederick Jackson Turner. He was an American historian from Portage, Wisconsin that grew up in a middle class family. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1884, and acquired his Ph.D. in history at John Hopkins University in 1884. My goal is to examine Turner's essay "The Significance of the Frontier in American History . " Turner's essay is a masterpiece of historical thought and sentiment, enhanced by analysis and critical thinking from a variety of different sources.
Essay On Manifest Destiny
977 Words | 4 PagesIn conclusion change was unavoidable and the Americans’ hunger for land, belief in Manifest Destiny, and access to new resources only helped feed into the events that happened. The idea that America was destined to seize the whole of North America would alter the course of American history as we know it today as it would start the Civil War. After that, due to America’s hunger for land, Oregon and California’s development would go exponentially faster as thousands of people flooded these states during the gold rush and Oregon trail. And as a result of the hunger for land, the Indian Removal Acts and the Mexican American war would be put into
The Trans-Mississippi West
784 Words | 4 PagesThe people who settled the west were greatly dependent on the US government and the policies they adopted. The settling of the west in the late 19th century was similar to the settlement of the south in the 1830’s. Andrew Jackson drove out the indians so that the valuable land of the south could be secured by white settlers. Once again, the federal government made it possible to settle the west by forcing indians off of their lands. A recurring theme in American history is manifest destiny and the attempt to develop unsettled lands by the federal government.
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