15 - Frontier in American History by Frederick Jackson Turner

Frederick Jackson Turner stands out as one of the most influential historians in the United States, renowned for his groundbreaking frontier thesis. This compelling theory posits that American democracy was significantly shaped by the presence of an undeveloped frontier from the nations founding until the 1880s. Turner introduced his ideas in the seminal essay The Significance of the Frontier in American History, published just three years after the frontier was officially closed in 1890. He continued to expand upon the frontier thesis, exploring themes such as sectionalism and the Midwests unique contributions to American democracy. His theories and writings remain a topic of lively debate among contemporary historians. In The Frontier in American History, readers will find a collection of Turners essays and speeches, including his pivotal work on the significance of the frontier.