The Significance of the Frontier in American History
The Significance of the Frontier in American History

Author: Frederick Jackson Turner

Publisher:

Published: 2014-02-13

Total Pages: 32

ISBN-13: 9781614275725

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

2014 Reprint of 1894 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition. The "Frontier Thesis" or "Turner Thesis," is the argument advanced by historian Frederick Jackson Turner in 1894 that American democracy was formed by the American Frontier. He stressed the process-the moving frontier line-and the impact it had on pioneers going through the process. He also stressed consequences of a ostensibly limitless frontier and that American democracy and egalitarianism were the principle results. In Turner's thesis the American frontier established liberty by releasing Americans from European mindsets and eroding old, dysfunctional customs. The frontier had no need for standing armies, established churches, aristocrats or nobles, nor for landed gentry who controlled most of the land and charged heavy rents. Frontier land was free for the taking. Turner first announced his thesis in a paper entitled "The Significance of the Frontier in American History," delivered to the American Historical Association in 1893 in Chicago. He won very wide acclaim among historians and intellectuals. Turner's emphasis on the importance of the frontier in shaping American character influenced the interpretation found in thousands of scholarly histories. By the time Turner died in 1932, 60% of the leading history departments in the U.S. were teaching courses in frontier history along Turnerian lines.

Science, the Endless Frontier
Science, the Endless Frontier

Author: Vannevar Bush

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2021-02-02

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 069120165X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The classic case for why government must support science—with a new essay by physicist and former congressman Rush Holt on what democracy needs from science today Science, the Endless Frontier is recognized as the landmark argument for the essential role of science in society and government’s responsibility to support scientific endeavors. First issued when Vannevar Bush was the director of the US Office of Scientific Research and Development during the Second World War, this classic remains vital in making the case that scientific progress is necessary to a nation’s health, security, and prosperity. Bush’s vision set the course for US science policy for more than half a century, building the world’s most productive scientific enterprise. Today, amid a changing funding landscape and challenges to science’s very credibility, Science, the Endless Frontier resonates as a powerful reminder that scientific progress and public well-being alike depend on the successful symbiosis between science and government. This timely new edition presents this iconic text alongside a new companion essay from scientist and former congressman Rush Holt, who offers a brief introduction and consideration of what society needs most from science now. Reflecting on the report’s legacy and relevance along with its limitations, Holt contends that the public’s ability to cope with today’s issues—such as public health, the changing climate and environment, and challenging technologies in modern society—requires a more capacious understanding of what science can contribute. Holt considers how scientists should think of their obligation to society and what the public should demand from science, and he calls for a renewed understanding of science’s value for democracy and society at large. A touchstone for concerned citizens, scientists, and policymakers, Science, the Endless Frontier endures as a passionate articulation of the power and potential of science.

Frontier's Fading Embers
Frontier's Fading Embers

Author: Peregrine Peverell

Publisher: Publifye AS

Published: 2024-09-28

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 823393142X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In ""Frontier's Fading Embers,"" the twilight of the American West comes alive through the eyes of Ezra Hawkins, a former lawman struggling to find his place in a rapidly changing world. As railroads and telegraph lines snake across the once-untamed landscape, Ezra grapples with outlaws and his own growing obsolescence. The novel paints a vivid portrait of frontier life, weaving together the stories of settlers, Native Americans, and ambitious newcomers against the backdrop of historical events like the Gold Rush and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. Through a series of interconnected vignettes, readers are immersed in the moral complexities of frontier justice and the clash between tradition and progress. The rugged, untamed landscape serves as a character itself, mirroring the inner turmoil of those who call it home. As Ezra navigates this shifting terrain, he confronts not only physical dangers but also profound questions about identity, honor, and the true cost of civilization. With its rich historical detail and exploration of enduring Western myths, this novel offers a poignant reflection on the values that shaped a nation and the bittersweet nature of progress.