Frederick Jackson Turner
Frederick Jackson Turner was one of the preeminent historians of the late-nineteenth, early-twentieth century. His essay, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History,” given at the 1893 Columbian exposition, launched his career. It also placed the West as a region for serious historical study. Americans had been introduced to the West by writers like the novelist James Fennimore Cooper, through his Leatherstocking Tales, and the historian Francis Parkman, who published The California and Oregon Trail in 1849, which was, as Herman Melville argued, “a very entertaining work, straightforward and simple throughout, . . .” But as history, it was problematic, as Melville noted: “The title will be apt to mislead. There is nothing about California or Oregon in the book.” As well, Parkman’s prejudices shine through and Melville draws attention to it: “It is too often the case, that civilized beings sojourning among savages soon come to regard them with disdain and contempt. But though in many cases this feeling is almost natural, it is not defensible; and it is wholly wrong.”^1 Where Parkman wrote a narrative style, Turner’s was based more in evidence. In the late-nineteenth century, following the German university model, American scholars took a more rigorous approach to academic research and writing. His essay is one of the earliest that reflects that change. Yet as you will see, it was not without its prejudices. To start, read this short overview of Turner then read his essay, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History.” In your reading pay particular attention to who Turner focuses on and how he presents them to his reader. You also may want to think about who he has left out. In writing this, Turner placed the West as a distinct region, replacing the previous North/South dichotomy. Pay attention to how he makes the West distinct.
1) Norsworthy, Scott. "Mr. Parkman's Tour," the text of Melville's 1849 review, January 1, 1970. https://melvilliana.blogspot.com/2012/03/mr-parkmans-tour-text-of-melvilles-1849.html.