The Frontier In American History
At this time, my paper will be split into an evolutionary model, I will use the primary argument (Turner) and then trace how subsequent authors have agreed (Webb), disagreed (Limerick, White), tweaked (Billington) and broadened (Susman) the original thesis. I currently have two supporting books (Nichols and Taylor) and a variety of supporting periodicals. I have already read three of the books, and I feel that they should fit into the preceeding categories, however, once I get through all of them I will be able to make the final determination regarding my five main books.
Part I – The Original Thesis
Turner, Frederick Jackson. The Frontier in American History. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1920.
This book includes Turner's landmark …show more content…
America's Frontier Heritage. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico, 1974.
By re-examining Turner's thesis Billington contends that, although diminished, the frontier experience remains a major contributing factor in national identity. Billington advocates for Turner’s thesis, but uses a revisionist view, weighing both pros and cons, to show that the original thesis is too simplified; that there are many interacting forces which help to define American culture.
Webb, Walter Prescott. The Great Frontier. Cambridge: The Riverside Press, 1952. CB 245.W4
Split into twelve (12) chapters, Webb examined the “interaction of the Great Frontier and the Metropolis” (xiv), focusing primarily on the frontier. Webb viewed the American frontier as a multi-century experience which, through land and capitol, shaped American identity and influenced all of Western civilization. Webb believed that the American frontier was not at the edge, but in the middle, transient and temporal. Webb used a variety of reference materials, covering political, social and economic in support of his thesis.
Part III – New West
Limerick, Patricia Nelson. The Legacy of Conquest : The Unbroken Past of the American West. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., …show more content…
American Frontier and Western Issues: A Historiographical Review. New York: Greenwood Press, 1986.
Includes thirteen essays on the progress and movements in regard to the American Frontier. The introduction examines problems within the field of frontier historiography. The essays include useful bibliographies, methodologies and discussions on the effectiveness of research.
Taylor, George Rogers, ed. The Turner Thesis: Concerning the Role of the Frontier American History. Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath and Company, 1972 (1949).
Part of the Problems in American Civilization Series, this book is a collection of eight essays, by major frontier scholars, debating Turner's thesis and its impact on twentieth-century America. Topics include nationalism, imperialism, democracy, and class.
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SUPPORTING PERIODICALS
Clemente, Hebe. “National Identity and the Frontier.” American Studies International 18:3/4 (Spring/Summer 1980), 36-44. Clemente believes that the “myth” of the Frontier helped push the ideal of the frontier, therefore attracting those who fit within the frontier category. The paper is split into three separate cases: the United States, Brazil and Argentina, giving a comparative look at how the frontier experience contributes to the formation of a national
Part I – The Original Thesis
Turner, Frederick Jackson. The Frontier in American History. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1920.
This book includes Turner's landmark …show more content…
America's Frontier Heritage. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico, 1974.
By re-examining Turner's thesis Billington contends that, although diminished, the frontier experience remains a major contributing factor in national identity. Billington advocates for Turner’s thesis, but uses a revisionist view, weighing both pros and cons, to show that the original thesis is too simplified; that there are many interacting forces which help to define American culture.
Webb, Walter Prescott. The Great Frontier. Cambridge: The Riverside Press, 1952. CB 245.W4
Split into twelve (12) chapters, Webb examined the “interaction of the Great Frontier and the Metropolis” (xiv), focusing primarily on the frontier. Webb viewed the American frontier as a multi-century experience which, through land and capitol, shaped American identity and influenced all of Western civilization. Webb believed that the American frontier was not at the edge, but in the middle, transient and temporal. Webb used a variety of reference materials, covering political, social and economic in support of his thesis.
Part III – New West
Limerick, Patricia Nelson. The Legacy of Conquest : The Unbroken Past of the American West. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., …show more content…
American Frontier and Western Issues: A Historiographical Review. New York: Greenwood Press, 1986.
Includes thirteen essays on the progress and movements in regard to the American Frontier. The introduction examines problems within the field of frontier historiography. The essays include useful bibliographies, methodologies and discussions on the effectiveness of research.
Taylor, George Rogers, ed. The Turner Thesis: Concerning the Role of the Frontier American History. Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath and Company, 1972 (1949).
Part of the Problems in American Civilization Series, this book is a collection of eight essays, by major frontier scholars, debating Turner's thesis and its impact on twentieth-century America. Topics include nationalism, imperialism, democracy, and class.
***
SUPPORTING PERIODICALS
Clemente, Hebe. “National Identity and the Frontier.” American Studies International 18:3/4 (Spring/Summer 1980), 36-44. Clemente believes that the “myth” of the Frontier helped push the ideal of the frontier, therefore attracting those who fit within the frontier category. The paper is split into three separate cases: the United States, Brazil and Argentina, giving a comparative look at how the frontier experience contributes to the formation of a national