American History - Turner Thesis

Running head: AMERICAN HISTORY - TURNER THESIS
AMERICAN HISTORY - TURNER THESIS
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Author Note

1AMERICAN HISTORY - TURNER THESIS
The Turner thesis or the frontier thesis states that the American democracy was created
by the American frontier. The following essay puts forth arguments that end to agree with the
statement that the Western settlements were indeed stories related to the brave pioneers who
brought about civilization to the primitive lands.
The frontier thesis states the fact that it had helped the concerned residents of the
American lands to gain the democratic conditions and rights that the concerned residents have
been enjoying in the present days. The American historian further stated that the process of
extending the frontiers have led to the conditions that resulted in the American democracy as the
primary matter and continued to deal with the increase in the egalitarianism and a serious lack in
the interests depict in the matters related to the high culture and the violence that existed within
the society (Ridge pp. 25). The historian further claimed that the frontier land did not have a
rightful owner and thus did not need the intervention of the various standing armies, the
churches, the various members of the aristocratic classes or even landed gentry, who were known
for having control over the majority of the lands as well as charging heavier rents (Howe pp.
392). The historians had claimed that the various battles that had been fought among the Indians
and the pioneers of the trans-Appalachians had resulted in the evolution of a new group of
people, who were known as the Americans.
Sources:
Howe, Daniel Walker. "The Significance of the Frontier in American History." Journal of the
Early Republic 36.2 (2016): 389-397.
Ridge, Martin. Frederick Jackson Turner: Wisconsin’s Historian of the Frontier. Wisconsin
Historical Society, 2016.

2AMERICAN HISTORY - TURNER THESIS
The other diplomatic historians however also pointed out the fact that the frontier thesis
might have encouraged the overseas expansions that the country had been dealing with in the
recent times (Findlay and Lundahl pp. 272). The thesis put forth by Fredrick Turner had gained
popularity among the various intellectuals who were involved in the matters that pertain to the
territorial boundaries of the land. The thesis that was put forth by Fredrick Turner attempted an
explanation as to why did the people as well as the government of America are found to have a
difference in the attitudes that are maintained by their European counterparts. The various
historians further stated that the frontier thesis might have provided the needed impetus for the
expansion of the United States into the Asian territories especially during the twentieth century.
Sources:
Findlay, Ronald, and Mats Lundahl. "International trade and factor mobility with an
endogenous land frontier: Some general equilibrium implications of Christopher
Columbus." The Economics of the Frontier. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2017. 261-281.
The renowned statesman and a great political leader, Franklin Delano Roosevelt had
claimed that the residents of America need to claim the frontier that pertain to those of the fears
and the wants of the people who have been residing within the country (Hayes pp. 25). One of
the most prominent revisionist historians dealing with the American diplomacy, William
Appleman Williams who is known to be the leader of Winconsin School of the diplomatic
historians, had stated that the frontier thesis as proposed by Fredrick Turner had helped in
encouraging the expansion strategies that were adopted within the country (Tindall and Shi pp.
47). The revisionist historian further stated that the frontier thesis was implemented by the
country in the matters that deal with the promotion of the democracy within the concerned
country as well as the frontiers wherein the country had been planning expansions. The frontier