Frederick Jackson Turner

Easton Press Frederick Jackson Turner books

The Frontier in American History - 1988

Franklin Library Frederick Jackson Turner books

The Frontier in American History - 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature - 1977

 

 

Frederick Jackson Turner biography

Frederick Jackson Turner was an influential American historian who profoundly shaped the understanding of the American frontier and its impact on the nation's character and development. Born on November 14, 1861, in Portage, Wisconsin, Turner grew up in a family deeply involved in academia and education. His father, Andrew Jackson Turner, was a journalist and a strong advocate for education, which undoubtedly influenced young Frederick's intellectual pursuits. Turner received his undergraduate education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied history, philosophy, and economics. He then pursued graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University, earning his Ph.D. in history in 1890 under the guidance of renowned historian Herbert Baxter Adams.

Turner's seminal work, The Significance of The Frontier in American History, delivered at a meeting of the American Historical Association in 1893, catapulted him to prominence in the field of history. In this influential essay, Turner argued that the experience of the frontier was central to shaping the American character and democracy. He posited that the frontier fostered individualism, egalitarianism, and a spirit of innovation, qualities that defined the American identity. Turner's frontier thesis, as it came to be known, challenged prevailing notions of American exceptionalism and historical determinism. His emphasis on the frontier as a dynamic force in American history shifted scholarly attention away from institutions and leaders to the broader social and geographic factors that shaped the nation.

Throughout his career, Turner held academic positions at several prestigious institutions, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Harvard University, and the University of California, where he served as a professor of history and mentor to many aspiring historians. In addition to his frontier thesis, Turner made significant contributions to the study of American history, particularly in the fields of Western history, immigration, and sectionalism. He authored numerous essays, articles, and books, including Rise of the New West (1906) and The Frontier in American History (1920), which further elaborated on his ideas about the frontier's impact on American society. Frederick Jackson Turner's scholarship transformed the landscape of American historiography, inspiring generations of historians to explore the complexities of the nation's past. Despite criticism and revisionist interpretations over the years, Turner's frontier thesis remains a foundational concept in understanding the unique trajectory of American history. Turner passed away on March 14, 1932, leaving behind a lasting legacy as one of America's most influential historians.