Edge of Expansion

The American frontier has been interpreted in numerous meanings by William Jackson Turner and Patricia Nelson Limerick. The authors highlight contrasting meaning on what exactly the frontier is. Turner indicates in his article, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History”, that the frontier is the outermost boundary of free land with a scarce population density. Turner emphasizes that frontier represents “the line of most rapid and effective Americanization” and further west the frontier extended, the more American it became. I find it interesting that Turner only viewed the frontier becoming more American the further it was from European influence. Turner also highlights that the frontier was the whites movement toward west as a result of opportunity being present while describing that the movement was forced on Amricans. Overall Turner describes the frontier in a more literal interpretation of it being the boundary between outermost stretches of colonial states and unknown land occupied by Indians whom he labels as savages.

Patricia Nelson Limerick interpreted the meaning of frontier in a more significant meaning that can be applied in multiple ways as opposed to Turner’s literal view of where East meets West. Limerick understand the frontier as “a zone where an industrialized nation shares a long land border with a nation much troubled by poverty.” (Limerick 496) Limerick emphasizes that it is important to understand the term frontier in a realistic way as a place of violence, trade, cultural exchange as opposed to the fairy tale view that has been ascribed to the term in order to make it appeal to children.

When comparing the two articles, I find it interesting that Limerick highlighted that frontier consists of Asians, Mexicans, Africans, and whites where as Turner had a tendency to explain the frontier as consisting of strictly whites. I believe that Turner may have been influenced by the popular view of the frontier that was appropriate to the time era he published his article in. In reading Turners article I noticed that he focused on emphasizing the breakaway of America from Europe the further west it expanded. As a result Turner indicates that the frontier is more important chapter in American history than the Civil Rights. Overall Turners view of the frontier was limited due to the time in which he had written his article where he lacked the proper resources to do in depth research about the frontier.

Another interesting aspect of the frontier was pointed out by Limerick where the she asks “why people from Indonesia who have numerous reasons to resent the frontier and cowboy diplomacy grow up watching western movies and yearning for life on Old Frontier and the open range.” (Limerick 499) When growing up in Russia I remember seeing numerous Lego sets of cowboys and Indians being sold at local stores. Back then my friends and I played with them mainly due to the lack of knowledge about the frontier and also the way it was commercialized by the media. I think to answer Limericks question the reason for why so many cultures that have nothing to do with the frontier yearn for that life is because the way media has conveyed the topic where it shows the glamorous aspects of a life in the Old Frontier such as freedom while ignoring to showcase the negative characteristics. Overall I think the frontier is not gone and America is still progressing in numerous ways such as technology,the recent election, and our foreign relations.