HIST 3057 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Homestead Acts, Dawes Act, Exodusters
28 Aug 2015
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American wests: thinking about the west, frontier (f. j. turner, 1893) The frontier thesis: frontier is called the meeting point between savagery and civilization defining feature of american democracy. American west was not so much a place, it was more a process and experience forged democratic spirit. American democracy- central claim of frontier thesis is that frontier is what forged american democratic political culture-if that no longer exist, there is fear that democracy will not continue. Big problem: would never claim there is one define feature of american history and certainly if there was one, why would it be in frontier experience frontier thesis was very questionable. In 2000, us census bureau declared that frontier was in fact real. The frontier thesis: it is meeting point between savagery and civilization. American west was not so much a place, it was experience. 1890 us census bureau declared frontier was gone americans settled so far westward that frontier has closed forever.
