The Frontier in American History

Frederick Jackson Turner

Oct 2015 · Open Road Media

About this ebook

A fascinating exploration of American identity by one of the most influential historians and thinkers of the twentieth century

According to Frederick Jackson Turner, the distinct qualities of the American character are inseparable from the idea of the frontier. One of the nation’s most influential historians, Turner sets forth his “frontier thesis” in the eight brilliant, enlightening, and provocative essays that make up his seminal work, The Frontier in American History—a book which profoundly altered the way Americans viewed themselves.
 
Disputing the traditionally held emphasis on European cultural influences, Turner argues that the American frontier fostered self-reliance, optimism, ingenuity, individualism, restlessness, materialism, and democratic ideals—traits that collectively shaped the national character. His groundbreaking work continues to influence American culture, politics, and history more than eighty years after it was first published.  
 

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About the author

Frederick Jackson Turner (1861–1932) was one of America’s most respected and influential historians, and one of the first to be professionally trained in the United States. Born and raised in the frontier town of Portage, Wisconsin, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin and earned his PhD from Johns Hopkins University. He is best known for his writings on the meaning of the frontier in American history. At the time of his death, more than 60 percent of the nation’s American history courses were being taught in accordance with his theories. In 1933, Turner was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize.