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The Turner Thesis
How the American Frontier Helped Shape American
Values and Character
Created by Mr. Steve Hauprich for the acceleration and remediation of US History Students.
"The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward explain American development."
-Frederick Jackson Turner 1893
American civilization is unique due to our frontier experiences where American character and values were shaped including:
•Rugged individualism…rather than dependence on government•Democratic values…w/ distrust for institutional hierarchies•“Can Do” attitude… confidence in success of endeavors w/ American ingenuity•American Culture = westward orientation…needs frontier experiences to remain vital
i.e.
Turner Thesis
Definition Characteristics
Examples Non-Examples
…American civilization is unique due to our frontier experiences where American character and values were shaped …
…American civilization is unique due to our frontier experiences where American character and values were shaped …
Definition Characteristics
Rugged individualism…rather than dependence on governmentDemocratic values…w/ distrust for institutional hierarchies“Can Do” attitude… confidence in success of endeavors w/ ingenuityAmerican Culture = westward orientation…needs frontier experiences to remain vitalTurner Thesis
CharacteristicsDefinition
…American civilization is unique due to our frontier experiences where American character and values were shaped …
Rugged individualism…rather than dependence on governmentDemocratic values…w/ distrust for institutional hierarchies“Can Do” attitude… confidence in success of endeavors w/ ingenuityAmerican Culture = westward orientation…needs frontier experiences to remain vital
Examples
•Frontier settlers, farmers•Fur trappers, guides•Buffalo hunters, scouts•Gold rush miners•Cowboys on the open range•Frontier town businesses•Overcoming adversities•Women getting voting rights
Turner Thesis
CharacteristicsDefinition
…American civilization is unique due to our frontier experiences where American character and values were shaped …
Rugged individualism…rather than dependence on governmentDemocratic values…w/ distrust for institutional hierarchies“Can Do” attitude… confidence in success of endeavors w/ ingenuityAmerican Culture = westward orientation…needs frontier experiences to remain vital
Examples
Frontier settlers, farmersFur trappers, guidesBuffalo hunters, scoutsGold rush minersCowboys on the open rangeFrontier town businessesOvercoming adversitiesWomen getting voting rights
Non-Examples
•Native American societies + cultures•Mexican societies + cultures•Canadian societies + cultures•Eastern USA cosmopolitan culture•Eastern USA corporate structures•European, Asian, etc.. Cultures•Quitters, wimps, etc…
Turner Thesis
1890 US Census declared the American Frontier closed !
Turner made his thesis known to a gathering of historiansin Chicago Illinois…pondering the essential question…
…What will keep future American civilization vital ?
American rugged individualism was shaped on the frontier…
…will we lose our grit and determination…and grow soft ???
CRAZY
PIONEERS
!!
Certainly there was muchconflict on the FRONTIER
…American Civilization was born in a cauldron of life and death struggles
…to see who would ultimately control the land
…Turner was strongly influenced by Darwinian ideology
…yes you could call it “Social Darwinism”
…Rugged individualismwas essential for womenon the American frontier
…survival, overcomingloneliness, doing chores,
…Wyoming grants voting rights to women in 1890 upon admission to USA
Art work by Frederick Remmington helped glorify the imagesassociated with rugged Western American character …
…later in the 1890’s he would help Yellow Journalistswith illustrations to motivate American Jingoists to war w/Spain
Hollywood cashed inon American admirationfor Western heroic lifestyles
John Wayne typified Turner’s virtues inthe frontier experience
American film classics export a “Turner” view of our history andculture to the rest of the world…resulting in expressions like
“American Cowboy” to describe American leaders
…yet tension lurks in the Turner Thesis…
…what about these other rugged people on the frontier ?
…how were virtues ascribed to some Americans not
also recognized in others?
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