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The hypothesis advanced in Frederick Jackson Turner's famous 1893 essay, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History," has been debated by many scholars. Turner's belief -- "the frontier is the line of most rapid and effective Americanization," -- suggested that the pioneering experience accounted for some of the distinctive characteristics of the American people. The stress on general ideas and the highly intellectual quality of Turner's writings perplex some of his readers, for these subjects seem to lead themselves to a dramatic and romantic treatment. With this romantic aura, the Frontier Thesis received enthusiastic endorsement until the Depression. Yet, criticism arose to attack its untested ideas, its ignoring of the European cultural heritage and its neglecting of the influence of Eastern urbanization. Though Turner did not deny the influence of the European social heritage, he underestimated its persistent strength. Probing his methodology and presenting the results of modern research in history and the behavioral science, this thesis tries to verify and modify the idea that the frontier influences the formation of American character, especially centering on the idea of 'free land.' As a result, Turner Thesis is in some ways a valid one; some of American mental traits are traceable to the frontier heritage.
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