Native Americans' Significant Contributions to Colonial America

Native Americans By James Axtell
"The Indian presence precipitated the formation of an American identity" (Axtell 992). Ostracized
by numerous citizens of the United States today, this quote epitomizes Axtell's beliefs of the Indians
contributing to our society. Unfortunately, Native Americans' roles in history are often categorized
as insignificant or trivial, when in actuality the Indians contributed greatly to Colonial America, in
ways the ordinary person would have never deliberated. James Axtell discusses these ways, as well
as what Colonial America may have looked like without the Indians' presence. Throughout his
article, his thesis stands clear by his persistence of alteration the Native Americans had on our
nation. James Axtell's bias delightfully enhances his thesis, he provides a copious amount of
evidence establishing how Native Americans contributed critically to the Colonial culture, and he
considers America as exceptional – largely due to the Native Americans. As all authors are
undeniably guilty of, James Axtell has a bias, and not one shamefully swept underneath the rug. The
enlightening article Axtell has published remains not only as informational; it stands convicting in a
sense. Unfortunately, the reader may find themselves lumped into the assemblage of Americans that
regard the Native Americans as "pathetic footnotes to the main course of American History" (Axtell
981). Establishing his thesis, Axtell offers plentiful examples of how Native Americans contributed
to Colonial America,
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American Imperialism Then and Now: Diffusion of the...
The imperialist spirit of the United States was inherited from England after the U.S. broke away
from its mother country in 1775. The young country wanted to spread its ways of living across its
landscape, creating defined boarders on both sides that separated it from its English predecessors.
Thus America's New Frontier was born. America built up its imperialistic nature throughout the 19th
century and on into the 20th century, flexing its muscles and establishing itself as a new world
superpower. The modern United States no longer finds land to claim, but instead is involved with a
Cultural Imperialism, which has affected how other countries around the world feel about the United
States. Americas need to find a new frontier has long ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
America also fights wars in order to spread democracy to other countries. A democratic republic
form of government does not make the United States unique; many countries have republics,
democracies, or both. However the United States is unique because of how much stress it puts into
trying to spread the ideas of a democratic government to foreign countries around the world.
Americans generally have feelings of exceptionalism from the rest of the world. This was especially
prevalent during the late 19th and 20th centuries when the United States had completed its growth
from coast to coast, and civilization and industry were booming. Patriotic pride is important to the
growth and prosperity of a country because it provides a positive outlook on the future. Senator
Albert Beveridge of Ohio declared in a speech to Congress that America was "[God's] chosen
people...to lead in the regeneration of the world" (Beveridge 1). This type of radical nationalism can
lead to American imperialism simply because the American imperialists believe they have a right to
colonize other nations. Rahul Varma, a Canadian playwright and essayist for the Playwrights Guild
of Canada, wrote an article about the damaging effects of globalization. He writes that globalization
is changing world policy and cultures into a monoculture not unlike that of the United States. The
American culture, he continues, which the other unique cultures may fall victim to is one of rapid

The Significance Of The Frontier In American History
Throughout history rules and regulations have been a part of life in America for over 120 years. It
has evolved into an extremely important part of life and it affects millions of Americans. America
has gone through several changes since the late 1800's. Turner gives his opinion on The Significance
of the Frontier in American History at the meeting of the American Historical Association in
Chicago, 12 July 1893, during the World Columbian Exposition. He states that "Up to our own day
American history has been in a large degree the history of the colonization of the Great West. The
existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement
westward, explain American development." He thought that if ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The works of travelers along each frontier from colonial days onward describe certain common
traits, and these traits have, while softening down, still persisted as survivals in the place of their
origin, even when a higher social organization succeeded. The result is that to the frontier the
American intellect owes its striking characteristics. That coarseness and strength combined with
acuteness and inquisitiveness; that practical, inventive turn of mind, quick to find expedients; that
masterful grasp of material things, lacking in the artistic but powerful to effect great ends; that
restless, nervous energy;5 that dominant individualism, working for good and for evil, and withal
that buoyancy and exuberance which comes with freedom?these are traits of the frontier, or traits
called out elsewhere because of the existence of the frontier. Since the days when the fleet of
Columbus sailed into the waters of the New World, America has been another name for opportunity,
and the people of the United States have taken their tone from the incessant expansion which has not
only been open but has even been forced upon them. He would be a rash prophet who should assert
that the expansive character of American life has now entirely ceased. Movement has been its
dominant fact, and, unless this training has no effect upon a people, the American energy will
continually demand a wider field for its

Frederick Jackson Turner Frontier Thesis
Although the utopian notion of 'the West' had been a prominent mythology in American culture from
colonial times, another and very central aspect of the development of the mythic West must be
illuminated in order to explain why the mythic West's position has remained. By reviewing how the
academic study of the West has developed, this chapter will argue it is the mythic version of the
West that remains alive and potent in American culture and identity today despite these changes.
Frederick Jackson Turner and the "Frontier Thesis"
While the American West had been described and imagined in utopian terms before the 1890s,
"what was needed to give the myth permanent substance was an intellectual justification for the
continuing presence of the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Deborah Epstein Popper, Robert E. Lang, and Frank J. Popper argue that the "explanation for
Turner's power lies in the way in which he joined apparently divergent traditions of knowledge to
simultaneously invigorate, modernize, and mythology the concept of the frontier." (92) By
systemizing and bringing together cultural beliefs and ideas American already understood and
generally accepted, Turner's concept became the "cultural glue" (Popper, Lang, and Popper, 98) that
united the nation. The power of Turner's thesis in that sense lies in how it united and expressed some
of the most enduring myths and beliefs many Americans have felt and to some degree still feel about
their national identity. Turner's language which has been criticized for being vague is also one of the
thesis' strengths; because Turner's definition of 'frontier' is so vague it continues to be open to
question and interpretation which allows the interpreter to inscribe his or her own beliefs and images
into it even

Of Frederick Jackson Turner The Significance Of The...
Explain the ideology of these four intellectuals and what their overall arguments were. THESIS
Frederick Jackson Turner's, The Significance of the Frontier in American History, written in 1893, is
arguably one of the most influential interpretations of the American past ever published. Turner's
thesis, Frontier Thesis, stated that Europeans were changed by the settlement of North America,
creating a new society based on the skills and knowledge they learned, while settling the land, not
by the European society they left behind. Turner believed the frontier was the driving power,
influencing and shaping the unique character of an individual American and American culture. As
the frontier moved west, Turner believed the new challenges that American settlers faced, created
distinctive political institutions, values, and societal bonds change, fostering the idea of self reliance
and sectionalism. Outlined in Turner's writing is the progressive stages of settlement, swayed by
dominating the frontier through urbanization, all the while maintaining the experience of westward
movement across the American continent. Moving west, resulting in the combination of ethnic
groups, creating a unique blend of American culture, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In 1874, Fiske published, Fiske's Outlines of Cosmic Philosophy, an explanation of evolutionary
ideology that was well received by Americans. Fiskie published two small volumes, one presents the
philosophic and scientific doctrines of Herbert Spencer, yet it was modified into a complete theory
of the universe. The second volume comprises the Synthesis, the laws of life, mind, and of society.
Fiske believed that every organism that is exposed to a consistent change, meets the change
outward. Being applied to every organism, to the lowest organism struggling to survive in a hostile
environment, and to the highest organism, slowly evolving, enabling it to overcome opposing

Frederick Jackson Turner Significance Of The Frontier Thesis
Frederick Jackson Turner 's "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 limited.
For this reason, Frederick Jackson Turner 's "The Significance of the Frontier" is not an accurate
depiction of the history of the United States. Unlike the image that Turner represents in his Frontier
Thesis, Native Americans played a large role in the formation of America 's history. Turner
continuously undermines their presence, referring to them mostly in passing and never giving their
race much credit. When discussing the presence of different animals and people on the frontier, he
ranks them only one step above animals, saying "watch the procession of civilization marching
single file – the buffalo following the trail to the salt springs, the Indian, the fur–trader and hunter,
the cattle–raiser, the pioneer farmer – and the frontier has passed by." In saying this, Turner is
conveying the imagery that Indians are altogether their own species, not quite animals but neither
human enough to be included in what he would consider the presence of man. Murphy 's book Great
Lakes

The Early Years Of The American Civil War
The study of the early years of the America republic has not received the same attention from
historians, as have many other periods of American history. In fact, only slavery and sectionalism,
the leading causes of the American Civil War, have been consistently covered in much of the
historical study of the first half of the nineteenth century. This became quite obvious with the
readings that I spent time with this semester. Many were somewhat long in the tooth, yet still
remained standard bearers for their topic, as further study has been sporadic or nearly nonexistent.
This seems especially true of the studies that attempt to bring together the various elements in a
manner that creates a big picture of the time period. Regional or social histories have dominated this
period in the last twenty years and perhaps it is time for a new attempt at integrating the various
pieces of the puzzle into a coherent picture. This is not to dismiss the people and groups that make
the story, but to put their story back into a greater context. The numerous books I read, when pieced
together, accomplish this to some degree, but this manner is incomplete, as it does not, nor were the
majority of the authors intending too, create a complete picture of what America was like in the
early nineteenth century. The first historian to attempt an overarching theme of the west was
Frederick Jackson Turner in his Significance of the Frontier in American History. For years, Turner's
vision was

Frederick Jackson Turner Frontier Thesis Summary
The American Frontier consisted of a vibrant and expansive land made for the opportunity
ofAmerican settlement until the late 19th century. Unfortunately, the age of exploration of the
Frontier officially ended in 1890 with the U.S Census Bureau declaring that "here can hardly be said
to be a frontier line." A historian, Frederick Jackson Turner, claimed that the Frontier shaped
American culture and the attitude of Americans. By evaluating U.S Census Bureau statistics, he
famously wrote the Frontier Thesis. Along with the Frontier Thesis, Turner contributed to the field
of New History, primarily analyzing the West and Sectionalism of the United States. Today,
historians acknowledge the tremendous impact Turner's role in American Exceptionalism ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He followed in his father's footsteps by enrolling as an undergraduate at the University of
Wisconsin. He eventually graduated and completed his Ph.D. at John Hopkins University in 1889.
His dissertation, "The Character and Influence of the Indian Trade in Wisconsin.", focused more on
his native frontier than the national spectrum of american history. The returned to the University of
Wisconsin to begin historical research and teaching. During the midst of his historical popularity,
Turner spent a brief period of time as president of the American Historical Association in 1910 and
served on the board the American Historical Review from 1910 to 1915. After teaching at
Wisconsin, he decided to join the faculty at Harvard University until 1924. After serving as the chair
for Harvard's Department of History he retired from teaching but continued his research at the
Huntington Library in California. The remained at the Huntington Library until his death in San
Marino, California in 1932. Some of Turner's achievements included being awarded posthumously
the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1933 and the historical significance of expanding America's
fascination with the West. Through his literature, Turner showed that history was not necessary
defined by period, otherwise, it was always

Essay about The Myth of the Old West
Over the years, the idea of the western frontier of American history has been unjustly and falsely
romanticized by the movie, novel, and television industries. People now believe the west to have
been populated by gun–slinging cowboys wearing ten gallon hats who rode off on capricious,
idealistic adventures. Not only is this perception of the west far from the truth, but no mention of the
atrocities of Indian massacre, avarice, and ill–advised, often deceptive, government programs is
even present in the average citizen's understanding of the frontier. This misunderstanding of the west
is epitomized by the statement, "Frederick Jackson Turner's frontier thesis was as real as the myth of
the west. The development of the west was, in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The origins of the ranging business as we know it began in 1848, when Texas cattle drovers began to
herd their livestock north towards Missouri, where the drovers would sell them to make a profit.
(Terrell 187). According to a Dallas newspaper in 1850, "[The cattle] are to be sold for beef , or to
furnish teams for California emigrants" (Terrell 187). Major markets for cattle in the North during
this time period included Independence and Kansas City, Missouri. Although the cattle ranging
which was occurring in the west during the mid–eighteen hundreds was known by the government
to be taking place, a large part of the business was, in fact, illegal. In fact, John Upton Terrell
declares that cattle herders', "historical significance is not to be found in beneficial contributions to
the nation welfare, for they made none. Quite to the contrary, they are worthy of note for the
political corruption they engendered" (Terrell 181) This stems originally from the disease which the
cattle carried with them, which the state of Missouri suffered from as a result of the cattle drives.
Thus, Missouri attempted to regulate the flow of livestock into its borders by passing legislation.
This "cattle act" which was enacted in 1855, could not be reasonably enforced and therefore failed.
The reason that it could not be enforced was because the cattle herders often bribed the justices of
the peace, who were given the authority to impound

The Frontier Thesis Summary
The Frontier Thesis may play a heavy part in U.S. history, but there are implications for truly
understanding the outlines of this thesis. Fredrick Jackson Tuner during a great meeting of American
Historical Association on July 12th, 1893 in Chicago, a paper named "The Significance of the
Frontier in American History." This paper introduced an innovative way of astonishment to
understanding the construction of America. Turner envisioned that the history of America was not
focused one the prominence of the Frontier and the America established many trades and
accomplishments from this voyage. Such as Tuner laid out the foundation of his thesis, he also didn't
account for the flaws that were overlooked from his discernment of the Frontier. (Tuner, pg. 1–9) ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
According to Turner, "in the settlement of America we have to observe how European life entered
the continent, and how America modified and developed that life and reacted on Europe."(Turner,
pg. 2) It is believed that America was an extension of Europe civilization just in a different land, but
in Turner's thesis, is that we developed new techniques and faced broadened challenges that change
the way we think in America. This is the key point of his argument, which the vast skills and
knowledge we acquired from the excursion westward, created a new society and left the old
influences behind. As stated by Turner, "the existence of an area of free land, its continuous
recession, and the advance of American settlement westward, explain American development."
(Turner, pg. 1) He highly believes that the Frontier plays an indispensable role in American History
throughout the colonization of the West. (Tuner, pg.

An Essay On American Imperialism
American Imperialism
American Imperialism has been a part of United States history ever since the American Revolution.
Imperialism is the practice by which large, powerful nations seek to expand and maintain control or
influence on a weaker country. Throughout the years, America has had a tendency to take over other
people 's land. Authors like Frederick Jackson Turner, Alfred 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 ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He quotes, "The history of sea power is, largely, though by no means solely, a narrative of contests
between nations, of mutual rivalries, of violence frequently culminating in war." Mahan saw sea
power as thoroughly intertwined with war. His argument was that a great navy was essential for
national prosperity through military and economic expansion.
A famous campaign speech, "The March of the Flag" was addressed by Albert J. Beveridge, a
politician and historian. Beveridge is known as one of the great American imperialists. He expressed
his views concerning about the US imperialism. He felt our land should not be taken for granted and
is well worth fighting for. Beveridge states a lot of positive aspects about it in his speech. He even
opens with a powerful attention grabbing statement "It is a noble land that god has given us land that
can feed and clothe the world, a land whose coastlines would enclose half the countries of Europe",
he gives the audience all these positive images of our land and America and raises the question if
they can govern different land why can 't America. Beveridge was hopeful for an appointment to the
U.S. Senate by the Indiana legislature, and the issue of expansionism was of importance to the
nation. His remarks suggest a special destiny for America, a destiny built upon superior racial
qualities and a responsibility to give to others our economic,

Turner's Argumentative Analysis
In the year of 1890 the Bureau of the Census proclaimed that the frontier was officially closed. For
many people finding out that the Golden West was no longer an achievable dream it put many
people into a state of depression. A historian of this time named Frederick Jackson Turner, about
how important the Frontier was in American history, it was published in the year of 1894 under the
title of "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" (282). His argument was that the
expansion of the New World was much different from the development of the Old World because
"the existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American
settlement westward" (282). Also that the frontier made it possible of the

The Turner Thesis Summary
The Turner Thesis is a thesis written by 1 Fredrick Jackson Turner in the year of 1893. It states
multiple claims that have changed the view of many U.S. historians and overall changed the history
of America. This argument has caused many controversies including historians arguing over the true
meaning of 2"frontier". I agree with Turners thesis because it caused many phenomenon's and
overall changed the frontier era. One part that I supported from Turners Thesis is the impact it had
on America. To this day many still believe that it is the most popular explanation of American
development among the literate public. His assessment of the frontier's significance was the first of
its kind and revolutionized American intellectual. It

The Events Of The Frontier
"The Frontier" is one of the most American of ideals; it is vital to our history, culture, and identity.
The events of the Frontier have shaped the United States into the country that it is today. We can see
its significance through the art, photography and literature of the era. These platforms of expression
allow us to understand and get an idea of what life was like for those pioneers exploring the west for
the first time. The first piece is a painting called "Loops and Swift Horse are Surer than Lead". I
selected this art because it gives us a look at the dangers faced by many for our future. The artist
Charles Marion Russell is known for his paintings of cowboys and scenes from the west in the late
1800's to early 1900's. Russell himself

Capitalism In Utah
1. Utah is both a product of the times in which it emerged but also a unique entity that worked to
shape its own future. Robbins and Malone both describe how the west, and by a large extent Utah is
a part of the great narrative of the American West and sometimes differing from it entirely. By
exploring the different facets and predominant activities of 1850's and beyond we can find clues as
to the origins and ultimate fate of the region . By exploring Western American capitalism, various
functions of manifest destiny, and how settlers adhered to the frontier pioneer spirit we can learn the
overall narrative in which the region participates.
Capitalism in the West: Mormons may have been among the first to settle in Utah; however ... Show
If the thing was one pragmatic to be done, then the most immediate, rough and ready, effective way
was the best way. Utah settlers followed this model, although with less personal autonomy and more
respect for religious authority in worldly matters.7 Mormon settlers followed this idea in the "spirit"
of the law rather than the "letter" of the law in forging their new identity out west. It followed from
the lack of organized political life in the backwoods society, that the individual was exalted and
given free play. The West was another name for opportunity. Here were mines to be seized, fertile
valleys to be claimed; all the natural resources open to the shrewdest and the boldest. The United
States is unique in the extent to which the individual has been given an open field, unchecked by
restraints of an old social order, or of restrictions of government.8 The self–made man was the
Western man's ideal, was the kind of man that all men might become. Out of his wilderness
experience, out of the freedom of his opportunities, he fashioned a formula for social regeneration,
the freedom of the individual to seek his own. This also was the way of the Utah early settler which
was effectively a country unto itself.9 Without hindrances settlers claimed the Salt Lake Valley and
made it their own in the manner which they saw fit, relying only on their own better judgment and
ability

Frederick Jackson Turner The Father Of The Frontier Summary
Frederick Jackson Turner painted the picture of what is recognized today as American history with
his Frontier Thesis, first introduced to the American Historical Association in Chicago in 1893 with
his seminal paper "The Significance of the Frontier in American History," where he calls the frontier
"the line of most rapid and effective Americanization" (201). Turner, although he did not himself
coin the phrase, may be appropriately named the father of "rugged individualism," a prevailing
understanding of the American spirit, which refers to the go it alone, bootstrapping mentality Turner
would indicate that the West, and thereby the nation, was founded upon. Chief In–mut–too–yah–lat–
lat – which means "thunder traveling over the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In Turner, we are told that the cost of conquest is nothing beside the rewards it brings, but with
Chief Joseph, we see the truth of this deception and realize that after the War, the Indian Peoples
became, as blacks before them, mere pawns at the hands of the white man in this great American
experiment. Turner's paper eulogized the frontier, coming on the heels of the U.S. Census Bureau's
announcement that there was no longer a discernable frontier line in 1890. Turner saw the West as a
laboratory, where our nation truly created its own identity, away from the European influence felt in
the East. There, "out of the primitive economic and political conditions of the frontier," were the
settlers able to create something expressly American as they moved "into the complexity of city
life," founding a new "individualism, democracy and nationalism (Turner, 199; 225). Turner's
narrative of American expansion is well–illustrated by John Gast in his famous painting American
Progress, which depicts Lady Progress bringing forth the light from the East to illuminate the dark,
savage, and undiscovered West, guiding settlers who come by stagecoach and train as the Native
Peoples retreat, fading out of the scene (Elmore, Sept. 12). "The American frontier," says Turner,
"lies at the hither edge of free land," and when he speaks of it, he does so "[considering] the whole
frontier belt, including the Indian country" (Turner, 200). Because

Turner The Significance Of The Frontier In American...
Benjamin Farhi
5/1/13
Band D
East to West Frederick Turner Jackson, born in 1861, in Portage, Wisconsin, grew up in a time of
severe social change, in a nation plagued with an identity crisis. Fascinated by the world around
him, Turner chose to become a history professor, devoting his entire life to studying American
culture/society while teaching at the University of Wisconsin and Harvard. Constantly having the
opportunity to study and observe the development of the "American", Turner wrote extensively,
about which attributes composed and influenced American democracy, societal values, and image.
He published an essay, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" about these topics in
1893, and presented it at the Chicago ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The chance at recreating your identity in the pursuit of longevity and financial security for the
present and generations to come is what a Frontier consisted of in Turnerian terms.
Correlated with Westward Expansion followed the advancement of democracy. The increase of West
Coasters although on opposite sides of the Country led to a rise of patriotic sentiments according to
Turner. As he says in, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History", "American
democracy was born of no theorist's dream... It came out of the American forest, and it gained new
strength each time it touched a new frontier. " Turner felt that the each newly empowered settler
who discovered success on the West Coast was fulfilling the American Dream. And by doing so,
each one of these citizens was helping progress American democracy, as a system that aided the
people in creating a more perfect union, even in the shadow of significant social challenges.
Turner's emphasis on the Frontier shaping American character through adaptation had strong
undercurrents of sectionalism. He wrote, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History," in
opposition to the Census Bureau's report of 1890 and did not believe the federal government should
dictate what was and was not a frontier. In the essay he says, "The frontier had no need for standing
armies, established churches, aristocrats or nobles, nor for

The United States ' Identity During The Gilded Age
As the 19th century closes, the west held the reputation of mythical proportion and defined the
United States' identity during the gilded age. Promises and dreams 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 "golden gilding " which masks the actual turmoil and issues in the United States. In
1863, historian, Frederick Jackson Turner lectured, "'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." These tall tales
created in the country a drive to push and inhabit the west ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
America was truly not a free land for all "men", but only one which those in the party in power may
claim and enjoy. Foner, Give Me Liberty, Volume Two, Seagull, 5th Edition, 614. To begin
urbanizing the west, the government began the building of railroads, granting land to families, and
companies with policies such as, the Homestead Act of 1864. Eric Foner describes the industrial
phenomenon, " By the 1890s, five transcontinental lines transported the products of western mines,
farms, ranches, and forests to eastern markets and carried manufactured goods to the West." The
incorporation of production companies, family farms, and small cities with justice systems starting
to form, made the west a much tamer place, and shunned away the "wild" lifestyle of the cowboys.
On the other hand these policies caused massive economic growth, "By 1913, the United States
produced one–third of the world's industrial output–more than the total of Great Britain, France, and
Germany combined." Foner, Give Me Liberty, Volume Two, Seagull, 5th Edition, 607–615.
However, as populations became more industrialized and centered near railroads and mines; the

Expansion Of The Westward Expansion
America's Westward Expansion
Jammie E. Love
LETU University
Abstract During the westward expansion the Indians were the only Texans who had any real
knowledge of the land west of the present day Interstate Highway 35. Soon settlers began to push
homesteads farther west into this uncharted region. The new explorers faced several dangers such as
weather, water shortages, and uncertain relations with Indians. New explorations and developments
in transportation and establishments brought more movement to the west. Residents began arriving
in the west hoping to get rich land and political representation. The men and women who went out
to establish the last frontier lived lives that would decisively shape the American character. The
settlement of the frontier was driven by profit and political purpose. U.S. citizens pursued the work
and adventure of subduing their country's last frontier. Settling the frontier brought out the best and
worst in people of all varieties that wanted to make their mark in the west.
What Drew People to the Westward Expansion Most people who settled the Great Plains were
ranchers. The western frontier was an idea place for grazing huge herds of cattle. Cowboys tended
herds of cattle, branded them, and managed long cattle drives across the open prairies. In 1869 the
building of the transcontinental railroad made it possible to ship the cattle market in large and
profitable numbers (JRank Articles 2011). The experience of the

The Significance Of The Frontie Thesis
The book, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History," by Frederick Jackson Turner
expresses many of the important concepts of the American western frontier. "... but at present the
unsettled area has been so broken into by isolated bodies of settlement that there can hardly be said
to be a frontier line," said the superintendent of the census for 1890. Showing the overwhelming
American influence in the shaping of the frontier, this quote captures the general structure of the
frontier, at the time, and one can easily bridge the likeness between the absence of the frontier line to
the American aspects and dreams. Meaning, America motivates its citizens to spread and lay claim
to the land because the American dream is to become successful and in the late 19th The book, "The
Significance of the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Showing the overwhelming American influence in the shaping of the frontier, this quote captures the
general structure of the frontier, at the time, and one can easily bridge the likeness between the
absence of the frontier line to the American aspects and dreams. Meaning, America motivates its
citizens to spread and lay claim to the land because the American dream is to become successful and
in the late 19th century, and before, land possession meant success. Attributing the expansion of the
union and the suppressing of the frontier to the railroads and steamboats that allowed citizens to
travel far westward, Turner explains that the western frontier no longer exists, and the frontier is
scattered with no directionality as the settlements. "By 1880 the settled area had been pushed... and
Montana and Idaho were receiving settlers," (3 Turner). Turner credits the biggest effect of the
frontier on American history as a central promotion for democracy, "...here and in Europe," (6

What Is The Significance Of The Declaration Of Independence
Chapter 4 examines the declaration of independence. The declaration of independence is one of the
most important topics in the nation's history which was drafted by Thomas Jefferson, and was
published for the benefit of the world. The author used the figure of Andrew Jackson as an example
subject and began with the "frontier theory" of Fredrick Jackson turner. The frontier thesis is the
argument by historian Fredrick Jackson turner in 1983, which when the American democracy was
formed by the American frontier. The congress declared the colonies independence by issuing the
document on July 4th, 1776. Turner first announced his thesis a paper called "The significant of the
Frontier in American History", which delivered to the American Historical

Response to Turner's Essay on The Significance of the...
Response to Turner's Essay on The Significance of the Frontier in American History
Turner's "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" essay presents the primary model
for comprehending American history. Turner developed his notions on the uncovering of the 1890
census that the frontier was coming to an end, that the nation had occupied its continental borders.
As Turner discusses in his essay, an extensive era of American development approached an ending,
but left enduring marks on American society. A major notion within his claims of the American
frontier is, "the existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of
American settlement westward, [that] ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Critics denounce Turner's thesis as being much too ignorant on "economic concerns of past
industrial America." Turner was also criticized for removing the natives from his narrative and
further ignores alternative motives. Furthermore, the notion of the frontier is also criticized as being
environmentally deterministic as people did not being fresh based on ambitions, but were merely
victims of their current surroundings.
Supporters of Turner's thesis, defend Turner's ideas of the frontier as the opportunity to spawn
individualism, democracy, and freedom. Furthermore, they announce his claims as valid and
reasonable, defending Turner's notions that during the great American frontier "the thinkers were
restless and inquiring, but what they lacked was room in which to try out their innovationsâ€¦The
frontier offered them the room and the opportunity." (Webb, 53)
While Turner's critics are valid in the sense that Turner's account on the frontier did not reveal the
environmental determinism and his lack of revealing the presence of natives with his narrative as
profound flaws within his claims, nevertheless, his thesis remains extremely influential within

Buffalo Bill's Impact On The Wild West
William Cody's legacy as a both a performer and a historical figure is mixed. Known as "Buffalo
Bill" to both his critics and his fans, Cody embodied the Wild West, establishing a narrative of
frontier life and those who resided in it. Through his traveling performances, Cody constructed an
image that resonated with millions of Americans. Many historians have analyzed Buffalo Bill's
cultural significance and how he affected Americans' perceptions on expansion.
Since Christianson's work is a foreword to Cody's autobiography, it depicts Cody in a relatively
positive light. It largely focuses on the importance of Buffalo Bill – describing in the thesis how this
image attributed to "a sweeping narrative that places the American frontier at the center of ... Show
Utilizing mostly secondary sources, Riley discusses how the professional relationship between
Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley strengthened the American frontier, as they pair became "leading
interpreters of Manifest Destiny and of its casualties, American Indians" (Riley 256). As she
describes in her thesis, "by creating the cowboy and the cowgirl and imbuing them with ideals of
white manhood and womanhood, Cody and Oakley entered the era's ongoing debate concerning
proper gender roles for men and women, popularizing standards to which many Americans soon
aspired" (256). In other words, Riley argues that the professional relationship between the
individuals was significant in popularizing the West. Through their show, Buffalo Bill and Oakley
created the Wild West, "presenting their version of western settlement and instructing white citizens,
immigrants, and children in the American national ideology" (276). Buffalo Bill and Oakley's
perception on the West was significant because of its popularity among American citizens. As Riley
discusses, the shortcomings in accuracy are negated by the show's cultural

Significance Of The Frontier Thesis
The Frontier Thesis Introduction The emergence of western history as an important field of
scholarship started with Frederick Jackson Turner's (1861–1932) famous essay "The Significance of
the Frontier in American history."[1] This thesis shaped both popular and scholarly views of the
West for the next two generations. In his thesis, Turner argued that the West had to be taken
seriously. He felt that up to his time there had not been enough research of what he in his essay call
"the fundamental, dominating fact in the U.S. history": the territorial expansion from the Atlantic to
the Pacific coast. The frontier past was, according to Turner, the best way to describe the distinctive
American history and character. To this day, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
According to the frontier thesis, all the resources on the frontier as well as its lack of an established
socio–political structure provided opportunities for the settlers. They could now pursue their dreams
"of limitless wealth and self–betterment."[6] Cheap or free land meant more opportunities for the
self–made man, and provided a 'safety valve' for the 'newcomers': Since the day when the fleet of
Columbus sailed into the waters of the New World, America has been another name for opportunity,
and the people of the United States have taken their tone from the incessant expansion which has not
only been open but has even been forced upon them. (100) Free land led to new opportunities, and it
was up to each individual and their desire to work hard and climb the economic and social ladder:
"...each frontier did indeed furnish a new field of opportunity, a gate of escape from the bondage of
the past; and freshness, and confidence, and scorn of older society..."(Turner, 100). Everything was
open to the man who knew how to seize the opportunity. The self–made man became the ideal of the
West, and eventually every man in the U.S.A. should be like him. It was the work ethic of the
frontier, not of the South or East, Turner thought, that had contributed the most to the American
character. The frontier culture concentrated on the dollar and it became important to make
something out of your life. People were constantly

Frederick Jackson Turner Frontier Thesis
The Frontier Thesis or Turner Thesis, is the argument advanced by historian Frederick Jackson
Turner in 1893 that American democracy was formed by the American frontier. He stressed the
process–the moving frontier line–and the impact it had on pioneers going through the process. He
also stressed results; especially that American democracy was the primary result, along with
egalitarianism, a lack of interest in high culture, and violence. "American democracy was born of no
theorist's dream; it was not carried in the Susan Constant to Virginia, nor in the Mayflower to
Plymouth. It came out of the American forest, and it gained new strength each time it touched a new
frontier," said Turner. In the thesis, the American frontier established liberty ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
They argue that, "Frontier imagery motivates Fermilab physicists, and a rhetoric remarkably similar
to that of Turner helped them secure support for their research." Rejecting the East and West coast
life styles that most scientists preferred, they selected a Chicago suburb on the prairie as the location
of the lab. A small herd of American bison was started at the lab's founding to symbolize Fermilab's
presence on the frontier of physics and its connection to the American prairie. The bison herd still
lives on the grounds of

Frederick Jackson Turner Analysis
History is a matter of what happened. Historians, however, work hard to understand why everything
happened. To do so, they must look back hundreds of years to each event and somehow answer the
question, why did this happen? Of these historians, three include Frederick Jackson Turner, who
believed that the western frontier movements were the cause to many events, Richard Hofstadter,
who believed that small groups impacted American politics, and Charles Beard, who felt that the
constitution was written for other reasons than many people thought. Each man picks apart
American history and uses his own interpretation to analyze each event. Although each argument is
convincing, Frederick Jackson Turner's is most definitely the best analysis, as ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
In his essay, he states "The rising steam navigation on western waters, the opening of the Erie Canal,
and the westward extension of cotton culture added five frontier states in this period" (Turner).
Turner uses several different events and connects it to the advancement on the frontier. These are not
the only events that he manages to link the frontier to, as he explains more at a later point in his
essay. In Hofstadter's essay on "the paranoid style", Hofstadter uses three events but does not clearly
link them to his theory. As an example, he uses the Illuminati and Masonry as an event to connect
things together but only really explains the history behind this (Hofstadter). He never states how
these were affected by his "paranoid style". As well as Hofstadter, Beard did a similar thing in his
essay. Beard's idea was that the Constitution was written for a different purpose than many people
think but he rarely mentions what this purpose was. Beard does state that "the underlying purpose of
the Constitution was not the establishment of popular government by means of parliamentary
majorities" (Beard). Although this answers to his idea, this is the only time in the entire essay where
this is mentioned. In every other part, Beard is explaining the process of writing the Constitution at
the Convention and how the Articles of Confederation had caused nothing but harm to the new

The Significance of the Frontier in American History
How does Turner explain the recurring need for communication and transportation along the
American frontier? What Turner wants to point out here is that the American West is the most
important feature of American history, and of the development of its society. He refers several times
to a process of "Americanization" and we will see that the definition he gives of it is a very peculiar
one. He gives a definition of the frontier: "it lies at the hither edge of free land", meaning that he
considers the Indian territory to be free land. According to him the frontier is the "meeting point
between savagery and civilization", "the most rapid and effective Americanization". The process of
Americanization he refers to is in fact a double ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Year by year the farmers who lived on soil, whose returns were diminished by unrotated crops were
offered the virgin soil of the frontier at nominal prices. Their growing families demanded more
lands, and these were dear. The competition of the unexhausted, cheap, and easily tilled prairie lands
compelled the farmer either to go west and continue the exhaustion of the soil on a new frontier, or
to adopt intensive culture.
Thus the census of 1890 shows, in the Northwest, many counties in which there is an absolute or a
relative decrease of population. These States have been sending farmers to advance the frontier on
the Plains, and have themselves begun to turn to intensive farming and to manufacture. A decade
before this, Ohio had shown the same transition stage. Thus the demand for land and the love of
wilderness freedom drew the frontier ever onward.
Having now roughly outlined the various kinds of frontiers and their modes of advance, chiefly from
the point of view of the frontier itself, we may next inquire what were the influences on the East and
on the Old World. A rapid enumeration of some of the more noteworthy effects is all that I have time
for.
First, we note that the frontier promoted the formation of a composite nationality for the American
people. The coast was preponderantly English, but the later tides of continental immigration

American Frontier And Railroad System Analysis
The Significance of the American Frontier and Railroad System The American Frontier and Railroad
System provided a new and shining horizon for the majority of American civilians. Prior to the
Westward expansion of America, majority of the territory located within the west remained
uninhabited and untamed. The Homestead act, which was signed by Lincoln in 1862, provided
willing settlers 160 acres of land. The only requirements for the settlers was five years of continuous
residence on the land and a small fee. This was a major contributor for western expansion and
cultivation of the land. Additionally, this was the one of the first time within history where the
authority put forth effort to help and promote becoming a landowner

Turner Frontier Thesis
One of the most famous arguments made in the world of environmental history was sparked by
Frederick Jackson Turner in his essay, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History". In his
essay that came to be known as the Frontier/ Turner Thesis, he claimed that modern American
culture and innovations had been developed by the growth of America into the western frontier. The
migration of Americans to the western frontier originated through their desire for adventure as well
as fertile and cheap land that was open for the taking. The frontier promised possibilities of
expanding new markets in an unclaimed portion of the country. There are, however, several critics
of the thesis, such as George Pierson, who disagree with Turner as to the ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
According to Turner, through America's conquest of the frontier, the cultural traits of Americans
could be credited to the directly to the land and "that coarseness and strength combined with
acuteness and acquisitiveness; that practical inventive turn of mind, quick to find expedients; that
masterful grasp of material things... that restless, nervous energy; that dominant individualism"
(Turner 34). While on the other side of the argument, Pierson believed that traits of modern
Americans such as democracy and individualism had already existed in other parts of the world, and
the frontier itself had not created whole new theories and ways of

The Significance Of Westward Expansion
In 1893 when Frederick Jackson Turner delivered his famous essay "The Significance of the
Frontier in American History," the United States had recently fulfilled the goal of Manifest Destiny
by finishing its conquest of the West. Westward expansion had been an integral aspect of the
American identity and its citizens were left wondering what would continue to propel the United
States into the future. At the same time, people were also looking back and trying to decide how
exactly the frontier had shaped American life. The common belief was that the United States'
conquest of the West was glorious and peaceful and Turner's essay serves as a perfect example of
this line of thinking. For Turner and his ilk, the West was an uninhabited ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
By disregarding the fact that people who had their own distinct culture already inhabited the West,
Turner was able to prove his argument that the West's primitiveness was the driving force behind the
United States' development. This primitiveness, for Turner, allowed society to be constantly reborn.
As the settlers inched across the map, they were constantly rebuilding society from the ground up.
They started as simple hunters trying to survive out in the harsh wilderness. Once they moved away
from strictly hunting and more towards trading, civilization began to take shape. The ranch and the
farm started to find their place in society, which was followed by the rise of manufacturing and the
city. For Turner, this process occurred all throughout the West. This pattern of rebirth allowed the
settlers to share a common heritage. The people who settled Utah started with nothing just as the
people who settled Nebraska and yet they each ended up with the same American culture. This could
not have happened if the settlers would have had to contend with already established civilization, so
the Native Americans had to be overlooked. The frontier did more than just rebuild society in the
West; it also helped to shape life back East. Turner argues that the individualistic nature of the West
helped to make the nation much more democratic – its "most important effect." When the settlers
settled out West, the

Effects Of The Frontier On American Imperialism
Dr. Magee
From Relative Isolation to Global Involvement At the time of the Spanish American War the United
States went from relative isolation to increased global involvement because of 1. The spirit of the
American people captured by the idea of the frontier and, 2. The belief it was the duty of America to
maintain peace of all nations. The consequences of this increased global involvement on American
Society was 3. The clashing views of the imperialist and anti–imperialist parties. America first took
a step towards greater world involvement due to 1. The effects of the frontier on the American spirit.
In 1893 Fredrick Jackson Turner delivered the idea of "The Significance of the Frontier in American
History," to a gathering of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Americans quickly fell in love with the ideas that they had set in place and started to form
imperialistic ideals that it should begin to expand its commercial interests elsewhere into the world.
As American enjoyed continued expansion and development it was then led to greater world
involvement due to 2. The belief that it was the duty of the American people to maintain peace in the
world. As time progresses from the days of Washington's presidency to the time of Theodore
Roosevelt's presidency we see an important shift in the foreign policy of the United States. In
Washington's Farewell Address he warned of the involvement in foreign affairs stating, "...a
passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the
favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real
common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a
participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification."3
This was the common thought of the time and it was once again exemplified in the Monroe Doctrine
during President Monroe's annual message to the Congress in 1823. " In the wars of the European
powers in matters relating to themselves we have never taken any part, nor does it comport with our
policy to do so."4 These thoughts of remaining neutral

American Imperialism In The 1800's
In the late 19th to early 20th century, American imperialism was on the rise. The United States was
expanding outside of the continent from Puerto Rico to the Philippines. While the conquering of
nations was important, the ideologies behind imperialism played an even greater role. Intellectuals
from sociologists to Navy admirals created arguments to justify America's global expansion. Little
did they know that remnants of their philosophies would still be in use over a century later. One very
influential ideology in American imperialism was created by Alfred T. Mahan. Mahan was a
historian, geostrategist, and US Navy admiral. By the late 1800s, he had become the Navy's leading
advocate and become very influential in politics with his close ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
First, America's main justification for the expansion came from social Darwinism. In the social
hierarchy, the United States is at the top tier, or the "fittest", while countries like the Philippines and
Puerto Rico would be on the bottom. During this time period, America's economy was struggling
and heading toward a depression, but this is where the "survival of the fittest" comes into play. The
strong United States did what it had to, like conquer small, weak Pacific countries, to benefit and
maintain survival. Also, in this case of social Darwinism, Anglo–Saxonism goes hand in hand.
American's belief that they were a "superior" race, and they were obligated to spread American
ideals, was used a justification of imperialism. Frederick Jackson Turner's ideology was also used as
justification. Turner stated, "American energy will continually demand a wider field for its
exercise." This, in fact, became a true statement. With America's goal of expanding from coast to
coast, a new frontier was needed, and what better place than Asia and the Pacific

Fredrick Jackson Turner Frontier Thesis
In 1893 Fredrick Jackson Turner presented the "frontier thesis". The thesis stated emphasized the
idea that manifest destiny played a significant role in creating the "American" society. The creation
of the American society accomplished first through the frontier line which led to the creation of
American democracy and many other elements including sectionalism. The frontier line was just the
beginning of what was to become of America. Acres upon acres of land scarce of settlers allowed for
easy expansion. "Frontier history tells the story of the creation and defense of communities, the use
of land, the development of markets, and the formation of states" (Hine and Faragher). One the
expansion of the land started the formation of our own ways formed. For the first time we began to
modify the ways of European life and make them into our own. Eventually as we continued to
advance westward we began to leave the European ways of ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Turner believed that the expansion of land had a significant influence on politics. Turner argued that
the changes in the social life and the creation of government was because of the original frontier
lines. Turner emphasize the idea that the Americas new–found freedom greatly influenced their way
of government. This was demonstrated through the formation of a democracy as a new way to
ensure that every individual had the chance to voice their opinions. "Behind institutions, behind
constitutional forms and modification, lie the vital forces that call these organs into life and shape
them to meet changing conditions" (Turner). As alluded to in the proceeding quote the changes
America experienced that led them to the formation of a representative government was the new
found love of free rein over the new land that they had acquired. Their belief in the God–Given right
to expand their lands as far westward as possible taking down instantly anything that stood in the

Outlaws And Lawmen In The 20th Century
I will introduce outlaws and lawmen in the west. I will identify them, discuss the important
background circumstances for them, and assess the historical significance.
Outlaws and Lawmen both are special groups of people in wild west in 20th century. As the
textbook states, "because Western communities lack established legal and social institutions to
restrain and punish criminal, anti–social, deviant behavior" (LP 51), outlaws and lawmen became
the special groups of the American frontier.
In the end of 19th century, with the expansion of the west territory, due to "White migration to
Indian Territory"(LP 48) and high economic profits of the western states (LP 49), the growth of
population and economy induced western lawlessness problem. Western Communities lacked
effective policies and law enforcement officers to control the rate of crime (Primary 51). Moreover,
people accepted outlaws behaviors and considered outlaws as local heroes (LP 51). For example,
Billy the kid and Jesse James were notorious outlaws. Billy the kid killed many persons, and Jesse
James robbed banks and trains for years with his brothers (LP 53–54) .
In ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
First of all, outlaws and lawmen contributed significantly in the western social order. Though they
had big conflicts and let the west become chaos in 20th century, these two special groups were the
symbol of process that the west in the United States was from outlawry to effective social order.
Secondly, outlaws and lawmen contributed significantly in the culture of the west. Some popular
works,such as "Saga of Billy the Kid", music, and television programs, can be traced directly or
indirectly to the history of outlaws and lawmen. No matter what age of people, they all were
affected by this culture. It can be seen that outlaw and lawmen was a special part of culture in that
period, and promote western to

Essay On Masculinity In Huck Finn
Since the Frontier era in American history masculinity has evolved from simply being an advanced
Neanderthal, someone who is an adventurous, strong, outdoorsman that provides for, and protects
his family to that of a well–mannered, kempt aristocrat by the end to turn of the 19th century.
While reading many early Romanticism, Transcendentalism, and Realism works have you ever
noticed authors views are predominantly parallel with the society and time in which they lived?
American authors (men/woman) where thought of as revolutionary with their popular, well noted
works, but their gender ideals stem from society's views rather than their own perceptions. Without
societies stipulations, these early authors could have been even more significant and influential than
they already are thought to be. The most well noted early American authors all have one big,
sometimes unrealized bias. That bias is gender. Authors such as Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, and
Henry James all follow this unintentional norm in the way that they have represented masculinity
through their works. The most popular frontier author, Mark Twain, represents an early and more
simplistic male view through his work "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". Through Huck's
adventures Twain is able to capture the early, simplistic forms of masculinity. Huck was always
exploring
"But the next day I went exploring around down through the island. I was boss of it; it all belonged
to me, so to say, and I wanted to know all

What Are The Factors That Influence The Declaration Of...
Declaration of Independence– Written in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson, the 13 colonies declared
themselves independent states from Great Britain. All political ties with Great Britain were also
broken. The Declaration of Independence also helped outline how the government in the new
country would function, and allowed the revolutionary war to be a war between two countries and
not a civil war. The Influence of Sea Power upon History 1660–1783– Written in 1890 by Alfred
Thayer Mahan, it was a naval strategy book. Policies in this book were adopted by most major
navies. Alfred's theories continue to be influential in the 21st century, evident in China's and India's
emerging naval powers. Common Sense– Written 1775–1776 by Thomas Pane. It advocated
independence to the people of the 13 colonies. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Was a speech that was converted into a book, focused on not letting government overrule their
consciences. Also dealt with slavery and excoriated American imperialism in the Mexican–
American War. Silent Spring– Written in 1962 by Rachel Carson. Tackled conservation issues that
Rachel Carson believed were caused by synthetic pesticides. Led to a nationwide ban on DDT and
reversed the national pesticide policy. The Souls of Black Folk– Written by W. E. B. Du Bois in
1903. Includes several essays on race and helped create an intellectual argument for the black
freedom struggle in the 20th century. Du Bois drew information from his own experiences as an
African–American in the American society. Letters from Birmingham Jail– Written by Martin
Luther King, Jr. on April 16, 1963. Defends the strategy of nonviolent resistance and protests to
racism. The letters became important to the civil rights movement. Emancipation Proclamation–The
first draft was written by Abraham Lincoln on July 22, 1862, Final copy took effect on January 1,
1863. Changed the federal legal status of 3 million + enslaved people to free

What Are Texas Exceptionalism
In the American viewpoint, Texas is seen as the state that enhances their western characteristics
alongside with their historic past of events placed in significant monuments. This was to preserve
their identity which had long gone through vast disputes in the past regarding to the creation of the
state. "Texans were even more determined than most states to recover their past. No other region of
the country had experienced such a convoluted history." (A Line in the Sand: The Alamo in Blood
and Memory, 205) Texas had gained their independence from Mexico in 1836 and have remained a
separate nation for about nearly a decade. The Republic of Texas was then granted their official
recognition as a state in 1845 through the annexation of the United States of America. ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
This particular state had achieved the accomplishment in breaking away from Mexico by their
constant fight of what they believe in succeeding and their continuation in following through until it
was attained. Texas exceptionalism is knowledgeably portrayed with the assistant of the citizens
who consecutively record the relevant context and details of the major events throughout the built
up leading to Texas striving for their independence from Mexico and the actions that had been taken
to bring that idea forward. A line which stood out promptly representing the Texas endeavor was
that, "Americans had long worshiped the

Government 's Military Interventions Toward Native Peoples...
The primary memory of United States' westward expansion in the 19th century is one of triumph
because it doubled the nation's territory and increased trade. However, the Old West during the 19th
century was characterized by America's brutal obsession with expansion and the concept of
American exceptionalism. In Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, Judge Holden celebrates the
human nature of violence and its necessity to find order in chaos. Blinded by the greed for control,
he refuses to acknowledge the norms of civilized behavior. Similarly, under the principles of the
Manifest Destiny, the U.S. government's military interventions toward Native peoples overlooked
violence. These parallels reflect the exceptionalist idea that one is inherently more virtuous and
entitled to higher purposes. Historians and primary accounts confirm the parallelism that McCarthy
draws between violence and American history. Therefore, preconceived notions about the positive
aspects of American expansionism are overturned by the significance of its underlying violence.
Attempts to justify westward expansion with Manifest Destiny advocated the pursuit of historical
erasure. The American westward movement rooted from the brutality of American exceptionalism
and destructive manipulation of history. A New York Daily Times article in 1851 romanticized
Manifest Destiny as a "national progress" where the nation "thirsts for freedom in the furthest ends
of the earth" ("Annexation in the Pacific"). The

The Frontier Of American History
In 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 square mile of land as the frontier's official closing, and no longer a point of
historical relevance. In the essay, Turner points out the differences in America's expansion with
other nations. Other nations developed in a confined area, then ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The problem developed from excess credit of one of the field's founders, Frederick Jackson Turner.
Although Turner's writings left out large groups of people, many Americans viewed Turner's thesis
as Western history. When Turner's ideas began to be criticized, that something had gone wrong in
Western history, not Turner's thesis. The view of Western history slowly began to change. Turner
recognized the national significance of the frontier, so abandoning him would threaten the place of
the West in American history (Limerick). In 1984, American historian Patricia Limerick attended a
history conference. All of the focus of the history of America was on the revolutionary war in the
East. This inspired her to write Legacy of Conquest. Limerick wanted to reclaim what other
historians have said, critique Turner, but not throw the idea of the west away. Her thesis argues the
West as a place of property and cultural dominance. Limerick defines the West as a place of
conquest and diversity. Limerick stresses the West as a place rather than a process, but didn't draw
exact borders of the region. Limerick deemphasizes the "end" of the frontier; she argues that the
West was an important meeting ground for a diversity of languages, cultures, and religions,
including minorities Turner left out. This blending of diversity in the West is an

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