The Significance of the Frontier

Response to Turner’s Essay on The Significance of the Frontier in American History
 
 
 
  Turner’s “The Significance of the Frontier in American History” essay presents the primary model for comprehending American history. Turner developed his notions on the uncovering of the 1890 census that the frontier was coming to an end, that the nation had occupied its continental borders. As Turner discusses in his essay, an extensive era of American development approached an ending, but left enduring marks on American society. A major notion within his claims of the American frontier is, “the existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward, [that]…show more content…
Critics denounce Turner’s thesis as being much too ignorant on “economic concerns of past industrial America.” Turner was also criticized for removing the natives from his narrative and further ignores alternative motives. Furthermore, the notion of the frontier is also criticized as being environmentally deterministic as people did not being fresh based on ambitions, but were merely victims of their current surroundings.
 
 
 
Supporters of Turner’s thesis, defend Turner’s ideas of the frontier as the opportunity to spawn individualism, democracy, and freedom. Furthermore, they announce his claims as valid and reasonable, defending Turner’s notions that during the great American frontier “the thinkers were restless and inquiring, but what they lacked was room in which to try out their innovations…The frontier offered them the room and the opportunity.” (Webb, 53)
 
 
 
  While Turner’s critics are valid in the sense that Turner’s account on the frontier did not reveal the environmental determinism and his lack of revealing the presence of natives with his narrative as profound flaws within his claims, nevertheless, his thesis remains extremely influential within
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