frontier myth & American dream

Definition of the frontier myth

The Frontier Myth describes the idealized belief that westward expansion offered Americans new opportunities to leave their previous circumstances behind and build a new life. In 1893, the American historian Frederick Jackson Turner developed his influential Frontier Thesis in his essay “The Significance of the Frontier in American History.” He argued that the frontier had played a crucial role in shaping American identity and character. According to Turner, westward expansion encouraged qualities such as individualism, self-reliance, adaptability and resourcefulness, as settlers had to respond to unfamiliar environments and overcome new challenges. Furthermore, the frontier provided individuals with the opportunity to start from scratch and escape social and economic difficulties. It therefore came to represent a sense of hope and the possibility of pursuing a better future

The benefits the frontier has provoked

• New opportunities

• Starting from Scratch: Moving west was associated with the possibility of leaving one’s past behind and starting a new life

• Freedom: The frontier symbolized freedom because settlers were far away from established social structures and could supposedly shape their lives independently

• Self-reliance and individualism: Life in unfamiliar and difficult environments required people to depend on their own skills, decisions and resources

• Hope

• Exploration: Moving into unfamiliar territories encouraged exploration and the discovery of new places and resources

• Adaptability: Settlers had to adjust to unfamiliar environments and overcome new challenges

• Entrepreneurship: The frontier offered opportunities to establish farms, businesses and other forms of economic activity -> gaining prosperity

Disadvantages the frontier has compelled

Westward expansion involved:

• displacement of the indigenous

• Violent conflicts between settlers and Indigenous communities

• loss of Indigenous land

• forced relocation

• Myth of the “empty wilderness” – ignores existing Indigenous societies

• cultural destruction

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The American Dream embodies the belief that individuals can achieve prosperity and upward social mobility through hard work, determination and perseverance, regardless of their socioeconomic background. Being closely associated with the Frontier Myth, it also reflects the pursuit of individual freedom, self-reliance and the opportunity to create a better life.