American History - Turner Thesis

This essay discusses the Turner thesis, which argues that American democracy was created by the American frontier. It explores how Western settlements helped shape the country's democratic conditions and rights. The essay also examines the impact of the thesis on American expansion and diplomacy.

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

3AMERICAN HISTORY - TURNER THESIS
thesis further helped in the spread of the democracy during the world wars, provided the
necessary endorsements in the fields that pertain to the expenditure on the foreign aids and the
various motivations that are needed for taking actions against the concept of totalitarianism
(LaFeber, Polenberg and Woloch pp. 29). The frontier thesis that had been put forth by the
eminent historian is known to lay greater stress on the matters that pertain to the development of
the republicanism that is present within America rather than on the various territorial conquests
that have been undertaken by the country.
Sources:
Hayes, Carlton JH. "The American Frontier—Frontier of What?." The Medieval Frontiers of
Latin Christendom. Routledge, 2017. 19-36.
LaFeber, Walter, Richard Polenberg, and Nancy Woloch. The American Century: A History of
the United States Since 1941: Volume 2. Routledge, 2015.
Tindall, George Brown, and David E. Shi. America: A narrative history. WW Norton &
Company, 2016.
The frontier thesis as proposed by Fredrick Turner attempted to introduce the theories of
civilization within the concerned countries wherein there has been an expansion by the American
government. The administration of the country tended to put forth the incorporation of the
various areas of civilization that were not present within the governments of the concerned
countries. This, in turn, helped in the incorporation of the civilized undertakings within the
governance of the developing countries (Main pp. 58). Thus, it might be said that the frontier
thesis tends to introduce the civilization within the governance of the lands that are observed to
be in the developing conditions and might need the assistance of the other developed countries in

4AMERICAN HISTORY - TURNER THESIS
order to bring about a growth in the civilization that exists within the country. The frontier thesis
further takes into account the matters that deal with the social development of the concerned
country. The American frontier, as opposed to the European frontier, tends to lie at the edge of
the free land and thus might help in the expansion of the territorial frontiers of the country by
acquiring the free lands and thereby imposing the factors of civilization within the acquired areas
(McDonald pp. 68). The American civilization is known to incorporate the matters that are
related to the aboriginal civilizations that existed in the areas prior to the invasion of the lands.
The invasion however incorporated the social and the governmental factors that were present
within the area, thereby leading to the harmonious co-existence of both as well as the upliftment
of the aboriginal members of the concerned society.
Sources:
Main, Jackson Turner. Social structure of revolutionary America. Princeton University Press,
2015.
McDonald, Forrest. We the people: the economic origins of the Constitution. Routledge, 2017.
Thus, from the above discussion it might safely be pointed out that the frontier thesis has
actually brought about a condition of settlement in the American lands to be the achievement of
the brave pioneers who were responsible for bringing in civilization into the area.

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References
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.
Hayes, Carlton JH. "The American Frontier—Frontier of What?." The Medieval Frontiers of
Latin Christendom. Routledge, 2017. 19-36.
Howe, Daniel Walker. "The Significance of the Frontier in American History." Journal of the
Early Republic 36.2 (2016): 389-397.
LaFeber, Walter, Richard Polenberg, and Nancy Woloch. The American Century: A History of
the United States Since 1941: Volume 2. Routledge, 2015.
Main, Jackson Turner. Social structure of revolutionary America. Princeton University Press,
2015.
McDonald, Forrest. We the people: the economic origins of the Constitution. Routledge, 2017.
Ridge, Martin. Frederick Jackson Turner: Wisconsin’s Historian of the Frontier. Wisconsin
Historical Society, 2016.
Tindall, George Brown, and David E. Shi. America: A narrative history. WW Norton &
Company, 2016.