frontier thesis
E658313
The frontier thesis is a theory proposed by historian Frederick Jackson Turner that argues the American frontier experience fundamentally shaped the nation’s democracy, culture, and identity.
Observed surface forms (2)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Frontier Thesis | 0 |
| frontier closing thesis | 1 |
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
historiographical theory
ⓘ
interpretive model of American history ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs |
Turner Thesis
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Turnerian Thesis NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| associatedWithConcept |
democratization through frontier experience
ⓘ
frontier individualism ⓘ social mobility on the frontier ⓘ |
| author | Frederick Jackson Turner NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| coreClaim |
the American frontier experience fundamentally shaped United States culture
ⓘ
the American frontier experience fundamentally shaped United States democracy ⓘ the American frontier experience fundamentally shaped United States national identity ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin |
United States of America
ⓘ
surface form:
United States
|
| criticizedBy |
Donald Worster
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
New Western historians NERFINISHED ⓘ Patricia Nelson Limerick NERFINISHED ⓘ Richard White NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| criticizedFor |
downplaying roles of Native Americans
ⓘ
downplaying roles of ethnic minorities ⓘ downplaying roles of women ⓘ environmental determinism ⓘ ignoring violence and dispossession on the frontier ⓘ |
| emphasizesConcept |
American exceptionalism
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
availability of free land ⓘ continuous westward expansion ⓘ frontier as a moving line of settlement ⓘ safety valve theory ⓘ |
| field |
American historiography
ⓘ
history ⓘ |
| hasLegacy |
continues to be taught and critiqued in U.S. history courses
ⓘ
remains a central reference point in debates about the American West ⓘ |
| historicalPeriodAddressed | 19th-century United States ⓘ |
| influenced |
20th-century U.S. history textbooks
ⓘ
interpretations of American democracy ⓘ |
| influencedBy | Frederick Jackson Turner's progressive school of history ⓘ |
| influencedField |
Western American history
ⓘ
progressive historiography ⓘ studies of American national character ⓘ |
| interpretsEvent | closing of the American frontier ⓘ |
| keyTheme |
importance of frontier conditions over European heritage
ⓘ
relationship between land abundance and democracy ⓘ transformation of European settlers into Americans ⓘ |
| presentedAt | World's Columbian Exposition NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| presentedInCity | Chicago NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| presentedInCountry | United States NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| presentedInPaper | The Significance of the Frontier in American History NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| publicationYear | 1893 ⓘ |
| timeFrameDiscussed | from colonial era to 1890 ⓘ |
| usesSource | United States Census of 1890 NERFINISHED ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
frontier closing thesis