-Frederick J. Turner
That's the line in "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" that grabbed my attention. The Indians vs. the good guys - them vs. us. But that is not really what Turner's writing is about. It is about why and how the frontier developed. It is a theory, but a well worn and well respected one.
However, in reading Patricia Limerick's "Adventures of the Frontier in the Twentieth Century", I find a more like-minded comrade. I have long been troubled over the way that many Americans feel the world is theirs for the taking, and that we are the chosen ones. I have been appalled by the treatment of American Indians and by treatment of immigrants, legal or otherwise - especially during the "wild-West" period in history. Limerick really hits it on the head when she indicates "But the idea of the frontier permits the United States to make an appeal to innocence and exceptionalism". Why is it that when Americans invade and conquer, it is for democracy and "a better life" when if another nations or people do this, they are a threat and should be stopped? I think Limerick states very clearly that the word "frontier" is not always the great adventure it's cracked up to be.
Limerick goes on to explain that with all of the faults of the term "frontier" as used in our current mindset, it is still an adhesive that binds us as a nation of explorers and entrepreneurs. She explains that with all of its faults, the "frontier" is still seen as an all-American way of life and something that we are proud of. Finally, Limerick makes the wise statement that if our understanding of the term ever changes, it may change the way this nation sees itself - for the better.
I, myself, would like a happy medium between the glamourized "wild West" and the reality of a harsh and often-cruel environment. Certainly there were good reasons to expand to the West, and there were surely better ways to do it, but the painting "American Progress" tends to highlight many of the injustices that were dished out along the way. I would like to see the American history written to show those injustices and the cruelty so that future generations can better understand what we did right - and what we did wrong.
I apologize if this writing tends towards "ranting", but I feel very strongly about how we Americans perceive ourselves and how we are regarded by the rest of the world community. For us to recognize our part (and our government's part) in the making of the "wild West", it would go miles towards a better understanding for our future generations of how to get along with our neighbors at home and worldwide.
"The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward explain American development." This is one of Frederick Turner's statements regarding the American West's settlement. Was it really "free land"?
Lou,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it crazy how easily Frederick Jackson Turner overlooks the moral repercussions of western expansions in the chapter we read? If only you could've linked that PBS write-up to all the people Jackson read his essay to! While I understand that getting up in front of all of his colleagues and countrymen only to reprimand the pioneers for their actions may not have been the most tactful approach to the topic, it does make me wonder how our conscienceness has grown as a country. Did the thought of empathy for Native American Indians ever cross his mind? Were there people like Patricia Limerick bringing other cultures to light back in Turner's time, but there just wasn't an audience for it? That would be interesting to find out.
As far as the double-standards when it comes to "expansion," I am right there with you. It is such an easy topic to get riled up about. With that in mind, Limerick approached the subject with a steady hand, I thought. Her analogies brought some levity to the piece while informing the reader. One part of her writing that really popped out at me was when she told the story of the young boy swatting at the cactus in "Frontierland." Her line, "finding a place where its thorns could look sharp and scary but not be sharp and scary" perfectly summarizes the essence of Frontierland and, in part, the common mass-perception of "the Frontier."
I liked your blog post -- you raised some really thought-provoking points!