Western Frontier

The Western Frontier

The western frontier is full of many experiences that changed the frontier. Each significant event has an important role on the shaping of society and way it influenced a new nation. Each author brought a new perspective and thought process to the western experience which either contradicted Turner or supported his theories. The frontier ideas that interested me include topics such as trading frontier, farming frontier, nationality and government, and the neglecting of women.

Frontiers shaped the west and how settlers approached it. Each different frontier had a different affect on people and the ways they lived life. The trading frontier created and established a good and bad relationship with the natives. The Norsemen, Vespuccius, Verraconi, Hudson, and John Smith all trafficked furs and other goods to Native Americans. They trafficked goods all the way from Maine to Georgia, which then led to the opening of river courses to trade farther in the continent. After getting involved in the trading, native power was getting undermined by making them dependent on the whites "Turner p.25". Traders soon turned the roads into turnpikes and turnpikes into railroads. The river systems that traders trafficked goods turned into cities such as Albany, Pittsburg, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City. These areas were then all settled by frontiersmen who led the start of the farming frontier.

The farming frontier created a homestead for the western travelers. The important center of attraction for the farmers was fertile soil, salt springs, mines, and army post. Fertile soil was the main attraction because they could easily start growing produce and sell it for product to the frontiersmen or natives. Settlers would make individual pilgrimages east to the salt springs because it was important for the preservation of food. Turner's farmers conquered a wilderness and extended what Thomas Jefferson had called an empire of Liberty "White, p.50". They would bring cattle, furs, ginseng root, to trade for the salt. The farmer's frontier came into affect in a series of waves. The pioneer wave depended upon the natural growth of vegetation and proceeds of hunting. The next group of immigrants or pioneers purchased land to put roads, houses, orchards, and mills to create towns. Finally the enterprise wave came to sell out and take advantage of rise in property "Turner p.29". They would buy land and build on it and then sell it to make profit. They then would move on and buy more land and wait for the same tear affect to happen.

Nationality and government has been on the rise in the expansion into the west. The frontier promoted the formation of nationality. The frontiersmen included the whites, Scotch-Irish, Palatine Germans, and the Dutch. They had freed indented servants which was a small case of slavery to a certain extent. As the nationalism increase and the western movement moved on the dependence on England was on the decline "Turner p31". The main problem was the south was depended on England for supplies because they didn't have diversified supplies. The national government soon followed the movement into the west and played a bug role in the frontier activities. The Whig party was nationalized of the ideas and needs of the frontiers. Turner stated, "That the government must be both capitalist and a protйgй," "Worster, p.99". Economic and social characteristics of the western frontier worked against sectionalism but the frontier also promoted democracy by being a product of individualism.

Turner neglected women in his essay for some major reason. The easiest reason is that Turner studied, taught, and made friends in a largely male enclave area where his oversight was never challenged. Next, he would draw heavily on earlier writers, and all who overlooked women. Western women have