How did the American frontier shape American identity?
In my opinion, this frontier showed the real progress on North America. On the
East side of the frontier you had fast development of cities and society as we know it,
while the West remained untouched, plain and simple. On one side, there was technology
and progress, while in the other stagnation and a peaceful way to live life. Although the
end of the frontier wasn’t peaceful, I see it as an important step to America, that we can
know read in a different perspective.
To what extent can the westward expansion be regarded as the beginning of
American imperialism?
I believe that the westward expansion is very much connected to American
imperialism. The eager to conquer more, show more power and discover all this land
shows the visions that Americans had of building a new powerhouse. In its infancy,
America was a new world colonized by people who were looking for a better life for the
next generation, but as time went on and the country gained its own identity the people
were always looking on ways to expand on improve. For me, the westward expansion
only represents a small step of the imperialism shown throughout history by the
Americans.
The Americanization of the European is an important element of Turner's
thesis. Comment this excerpt and offer your interpretation of how far the westward
expansion represented a move away from European influence.
In my opinion, by the time that the frontier started up to the point that it ended,
Americans were already very different from their European ancestors. They were already
living in a very different society and also perceived life in a different way. Being
American means the necessity of discovering of living in a “new world”, something that
the author believes is the case. Turner believes that the children of those who are
discovering the new West will live in a different reality, a common feeling by an
American at that time. By expanding to the West, Americans are not only showing their
new identity, but also showing that the European colonization of this continent is
something of the past.