Instructions for Turner Reading

A quick intro to the assigned reading:  Turner's essay here, which he originally read at a meeting of the American Historical Association in 1893 while a young professor at Harvard, has become one of the most influential documents in shaping both historical methods, perceptions and myths of the American frontier.  His thesis, generally stated, is that the frontier was essential in shaping what he saw as the distinct national character of Americans and their political institutions.  The style is elegant and somewhat rhetorical, as are the sources he quotes. One way to focus your concentration is to underline 

the most important idea in each paragraph.

Be sure, too, that you know what "suffrage" means as he uses it.

For Wednesday's class, write short answers (2-3 sentences for each answer) to the four questions below. You can also, if you prefer, combine your answers to the questions in the form of a short essay (1-2 pages) that touches upon each point.  Feel free to quote from the essay and film to demonstrate your knowledge of them.

1.  According to Turner, what are the main American characteristics that have been shaped by the frontier?

2.  What process do pioneers undergo when encountering the frontier in his analysis?

3.   What metaphors do Turner and Peck (whom Turner quotes) use to characterize the cultivation of the West?  What are the implications of these metaphors?

Note that a metaphor can appear as a noun, as in "the fiscal cliff," or a verb, "My new couch eats pillows," or in a combination of the two: "The clock is ticking for the fiscal cliff."

4.  [I added this question Monday: it's okay if you wrote your response without including it:]  Do you have criticisms of Turner's thesis?  What does he leave out of his analysis of the frontier and its affect on American character?

4.  Do you see Turner's ideas endorsed or challenged in Union Pacific? Discuss a specific scene or two in your answer.