The Turner Thesis

How the American Frontier Helped Shape American

Values and Character

Created by Mr. Steve Hauprich for the acceleration and remediation of US History Students.

"The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward explain American development."

-Frederick Jackson Turner 1893

American civilization is unique due to our frontier experiences where American character and values were shaped including:

•Rugged individualism…rather than dependence on government•Democratic values…w/ distrust for institutional hierarchies•“Can Do” attitude… confidence in success of endeavors w/ American ingenuity•American Culture = westward orientation…needs frontier experiences to remain vital

i.e.

Turner Thesis

Definition Characteristics

Examples Non-Examples

…American civilization is unique due to our frontier experiences where American character and values were shaped …

…American civilization is unique due to our frontier experiences where American character and values were shaped …

Definition Characteristics

Rugged individualism…rather than dependence on governmentDemocratic values…w/ distrust for institutional hierarchies“Can Do” attitude… confidence in success of endeavors w/ ingenuityAmerican Culture = westward orientation…needs frontier experiences to remain vitalTurner Thesis

CharacteristicsDefinition

…American civilization is unique due to our frontier experiences where American character and values were shaped …

Rugged individualism…rather than dependence on governmentDemocratic values…w/ distrust for institutional hierarchies“Can Do” attitude… confidence in success of endeavors w/ ingenuityAmerican Culture = westward orientation…needs frontier experiences to remain vital

Examples

•Frontier settlers, farmers•Fur trappers, guides•Buffalo hunters, scouts•Gold rush miners•Cowboys on the open range•Frontier town businesses•Overcoming adversities•Women getting voting rights

Turner Thesis

CharacteristicsDefinition

…American civilization is unique due to our frontier experiences where American character and values were shaped …

Rugged individualism…rather than dependence on governmentDemocratic values…w/ distrust for institutional hierarchies“Can Do” attitude… confidence in success of endeavors w/ ingenuityAmerican Culture = westward orientation…needs frontier experiences to remain vital

Examples

Frontier settlers, farmersFur trappers, guidesBuffalo hunters, scoutsGold rush minersCowboys on the open rangeFrontier town businessesOvercoming adversitiesWomen getting voting rights

Non-Examples

•Native American societies + cultures•Mexican societies + cultures•Canadian societies + cultures•Eastern USA cosmopolitan culture•Eastern USA corporate structures•European, Asian, etc.. Cultures•Quitters, wimps, etc…

Turner Thesis

1890 US Census declared the American Frontier closed !

Turner made his thesis known to a gathering of historiansin Chicago Illinois…pondering the essential question…

…What will keep future American civilization vital ?

American rugged individualism was shaped on the frontier…

…will we lose our grit and determination…and grow soft ???

CRAZY

PIONEERS

!!

Certainly there was muchconflict on the FRONTIER

…American Civilization was born in a cauldron of life and death struggles

…to see who would ultimately control the land

…Turner was strongly influenced by Darwinian ideology

…yes you could call it “Social Darwinism”

…Rugged individualismwas essential for womenon the American frontier

…survival, overcomingloneliness, doing chores,

…Wyoming grants voting rights to women in 1890 upon admission to USA

Art work by Frederick Remmington helped glorify the imagesassociated with rugged Western American character …

…later in the 1890’s he would help Yellow Journalistswith illustrations to motivate American Jingoists to war w/Spain

Hollywood cashed inon American admirationfor Western heroic lifestyles

John Wayne typified Turner’s virtues inthe frontier experience

American film classics export a “Turner” view of our history andculture to the rest of the world…resulting in expressions like

“American Cowboy” to describe American leaders

…yet tension lurks in the Turner Thesis…

…what about these other rugged people on the frontier ?

…how were virtues ascribed to some Americans not

also recognized in others?

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