Frontiers in America

Jaleen Walker

Mr. Fischer

United States History B

3/9/15

Frontiers in America

        Expanding and settling frontiers had long been a heavy driving force for America and its citizens. The unsettled land of America seemed vast and endless, so much so that many Americans did not think about what it would mean for them and America once there essentially seemed to be nowhere else to go. That is why Turner’s Thesis was so eye opening for many Americans. Turner’s thesis was two-part. He argued that frontiers were essential to the development of American identity and culture and he also argued that American frontiers had finally reached an end. So if frontiers were so essential to the development of American identity and culture and there was seemingly no more frontiers, what did this mean for America? In order to truly understand Turner’s thesis, one must first define expansion and what is considered a frontier. This essay will examine how Turner was correct in his beliefs that frontiers were essential to the creation of American culture and identity and how even though land frontiers may have reached a conclusion for America, it still had many social and political frontiers that were open for exploring.

        Turner’s argument that frontiers were essential in creating the culture and identity of American society is true. The idea of frontiers and that there was always another place to explore, another place to settle, another place to have a new start, was the identity of western American culture at the time. This idea of exploration and adventurism was a huge part of establishing western identity. Additionally, the acquisition of land was not an easy task for America. Between the Native Americans already controlling and living in a lot of what is now considered to be America and Mexico controlling what is now known as Texas obtaining this land was a difficult feat. However, America showed from the get go that it was not afraid to get its hands dirty in the pursuit of land and doing what they thought was right. Which is a characteristic that America is still well known for today.

In order to argue Turner’s thesis, one must first define what “frontiers” means and then relate it back to American expansion as a whole. If Turner was defining frontiers as more land to be explored, then he would be correct. Now someone may argue that after Turner wrote this thesis that the United States did acquire Alaska, Hawaii, and many other territories around the world, but as far as the mainland, contiguous United States went, there were no more frontiers to explore. Additionally, the acquirements of these two new states and territories do not really embody what American expansion had become to be recognized as across the nation. Before 1890, American expansion involved pioneers and explorers taking huge risks in order to colonize and tame the unknown wilds of the west. American expansion immediately brings to mind great men like Lewis and Clark who left everything they knew in order to try to seek a better life west and do what they thought was right for America. So yes, the United States did acquire more land after 1890, but the contiguous United States had already been settled and the gaining of this new land did not involve any of the spirit that American expansion had involved in the past.