Explaining Frontier Era America

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett dive deep into the American frontier era (1790-1890) and examine how diverse cultural groups shaped westward expansion. Through personal anecdotes and historical analysis, they explore how regional identities and ecological changes forged the American character and transformed a continental power into a global empire. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess -- SPONSOR: NETSUITE | SHOPIFY | ORACLE | BREX More than 40,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. If you're looking for an ERP platform, get a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program on NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/zen - Download your free CFO's guide to AI and machine learning. Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, offering a market-leading checkout system Shoppay and exclusive AI apps. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial at https://shopify.com/momentofzen Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI): Oracle's next-generation cloud platform delivers blazing-fast AI and ML performance with 50% less for compute and 80% less for outbound networking compared to other cloud providers. OCI powers industry leaders like Vodafone and Thomson Reuters with secure infrastructure and application development capabilities. New U.S. customers can get their cloud bill cut in half by switching to OCI before March 31, 2024 at https://oracle.com/cognitive Ready to take your startup to the next level? Visit https://www.brex.com/grow to join the 30,000+ companies already streamlining their finances with Brex. Get high-yield banking, smart expense management, and scalable financial tools designed specifically for founders who want to focus on building, not bookkeeping. -- FOLLOW ON X: @whatifalthist (Rudyard) @LudwigNverMises (Austin) @TurpentineMedia -- KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DISCUSSION Timeframe and Geographic Scope: The American frontier era spans 1790-1890, during which America expanded from the Appalachian Mountains to the West Coast. Cultural Migrations: The hosts discuss how distinct regional cultures (New England Yankees, Quakers/Mid-Atlantic, Scots-Irish, and Southern Cavaliers) migrated westward, creating cultural corridors across the continent. Ecological Changes: Exploration of how Americans transformed the landscape, from mass buffalo hunting to forest clearing, and how wilderness is actually expanding in modern America. Cowboy Culture: The brief 20-year window of cowboy culture, its similarities to Central Asian herding peoples, and its place within the larger industrialized system. Mormon Settlement: The unique case of Mormon migration and settlement as a centrally-managed theocracy, driven westward by persecution. Technology and Agricultural Development: How technological innovations like barbed wire and specialized plows enabled settlement of the Great Plains, previously considered unfarmable. Andrew Jackson: His role as an emblematic frontier figure who transformed American politics and defeated the old East Coast aristocracy. Territorial Acquisition: The process of acquiring western territories through the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican-American War. Transition to Empire: How the closing of the frontier coincided with America's transition to becoming a global empire, with overseas expansion beginning shortly after. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices