Frederick Jackson Turner Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Frederick Jackson Turner?

Frederick Jackson Turner was an American historian in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for his groundbreaking essay, The Significance of the Frontier in American History, which argued that the existence of a frontier had played a key role in the development of democracy and individualism in America. Turner’s other works focused on topics such as Native American populations, sectionalism, and settlement patterns. His work has been influential in changing how historians view the settlement of America and has prompted further exploration into its effects on American culture.Turner’s central thesis was that the existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward explain American development. He argued that by pushing back against native inhabitants and wildness through constant movement to new lands made possible by ample resources such as timberland and fertile soil, settlers asserted their own individualism as well as created a nation where democracy could thrive. In so doing they helped create an environment where individuals could develop their own identities separate from British authority. Additionally he believed that this expansion was largely responsible for bringing about widespread religious freedom seen during this era due to a lack of centralized power or authority enforcing religious doctrine from Europe. Turner also explored how different cultures interacted with one another during this period which he dubbed frontier interaction. He found that when different groups came together there would be both conflict and cooperation between them which ultimately shaped America’s diverse population today. In summary he argued that without the presence of these forces including economic opportunities offered by resources like timberland America might not have developed into what it is today: a melting pot nation with a wide range of individuals who are all equal under law regardless of race or religion. Though some aspects of Turner’s thesis have since been modified or discredited by later historians, his work remains influential to this day for its comprehensive look at how free land shaped early America’s development into what it is today one founded upon individual libertys within a legal framework promoting equality for everyone regardless background or religion.