The Significance of the Frontier in American History

Turner attributes certain American characteristics to the influence of colonial settlers. Research historical accounts of colonial settlers’ cultures and ideologies. How does Turner’s analysis correlate with or diverge from these historical narratives?

Explore the metaphorical imagery Turner employs. What do these metaphors elucidate about Turner’s attitude toward settlers and Indigenous populations, and the interactions between them?

Turner’s essay was written at a time when academic history was gradually becoming professional rather than a gentleman’s amateur pursuit. Analyze the ways in which his essay diverges from the professionalized style of modern academic discourse.