How Did The Frontier Shaped American Culture

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Turner's interpretation of the frontier played a decisive role in shaping american identity. The crucial element Turner argue that transformed the europeans to americans was the process of settling the frontier.He theorized that the frontier was a process that transformed Europeans into a new people, the Americans.Although there were people that disagreed with the thesis stating that many factors influenced american culture besides the looming frontier. The significance of the frontier was that as pioneers moved into the frontier zone they were changed by the encounter. Many historians proposed that modern america was an outgrowth of european civilization in a new land. Turner opposed this popular view by arguing that the geographical frontier …show more content…

This is just as Turner believed that the trials and endeavors of american frontiersmen influenced and contributed to american outlooks, character, society. Turner argued that the west was responsible for key characteristics of american culture; beliefs in individualism, political democracy, and economic mobility. The american character was forged in the wilderness as successive waves of civilization spread westward. The further west you get the more advanced america became; culturally, socially and economically. The west would be where you could send excess population, where you could try new ideas and movements and create new markets. America was special in some way the idea of american exceptionalism was in his thesis, which also led to the old west being …show more content…

The frontier, and its demarcation line, determined the path of history more than other events revered as significant. Turner describes how centers of attraction was a big enticement for westward expansion' Salt was an attraction because it was needed to preserve food for storage and so that people could more easily travel. Mines and better soil were attractions that provided wealth and/or food. Army posts became necessary centers of attraction for protection. With all the wide-open space that was available, it was natural that people would move west to claim the land and the benefits it reaped.The frontier was a vast area of free land so it was opt for

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