1 / 28

American Studies Week 1 10 February 2014

American Studies Week 1 10 February 2014. The Frontier Experience-- How It Formed the American Character. WHY? Why are there so many gun deaths in the U.S.?. WHY did the Founding Fathers declare “All men are created equal” while allowing slavery?.

helena
Download Presentation

American Studies Week 1 10 February 2014

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. American StudiesWeek 110 February 2014

  2. The Frontier Experience--How It Formed the American Character

  3. WHY?Why are there so many gun deaths in the U.S.?

  4. WHY did the Founding Fathers declare “All men are created equal” while allowing slavery?

  5. HOW can we have a technologically-advanced society in which a large percentage of people do not believe in science?

  6. HOW could we have a nation built on Christian ideals that did not provide health care for all citizens?

  7. As successive terminal moraines result from successive glaciations, so each frontier leaves its traces behind it, and when it becomes a settled area the region still partakes of the frontier characteristics. Frederick Jackson Turner

  8. The Frontier • Western edge of white settlement • Always changing—moving west • Line of white/Indian conflict • Stages of development

  9. As people moved from East to West, they became-- • Less European, More American • Less educated, less artistic • More self-reliant, practical • More like the Indians in the way they fought

  10. Stage 1 on the frontier—The Wilderness Man

  11. Stage 1: The Wilderness Man • Man on his own • Outcast from white society • Trapping, trading w/Indians, Does not farm • Accepts Indian ways • Is generally accepted by Indians

  12. Stage 2--Pioneers

  13. Stage 2: Pioneers • Families—high fertility • Very poor—moving west their only option • Live by hunting & trapping at first • Clear land, plant crops, raise livestock, make whiskey • Squatters—no legal ownership of land • Live in conflict w/Indians • Always moving west

  14. Pioneer Mind Set • Hatred of Indians • Land should be free • Individualistic, violent, simple justice • High energy—always ready to move on • Against— • Landlords • Government • Armies • Taxes • Established religion

  15. I didn't mean no harm.  All I wanted was to go somewheres; all I wanted was a change, I warn't particular. –Huckleberry Finn Example of pioneer mind set

  16. Stage 3: Land Speculators • Rich Easterners • Buy up huge amounts of land in the West • Try to collect rent from squatters • Sell land to new settlers

  17. Stage 4: Settlers • Farmers who want to be permanent • Permanent buildings • Improve the land • Try to gain legal title to land • Often cheated by land speculators

  18. Stage 5: Towns • Trade • Industry • Government • Religion • Schools • Everything the original pioneers hated

  19. Down Side of Frontier Attitudes • Racism • Simplistic justice--lynching • Disregard for environment • Violence, esp. w/ guns • Lack of reasonable gov’t regulation

  20. Positive Side of Frontier Attitude • Individualism • Risk-taking • Innovation • Opportunity—cheap land, few laws • Chance to start over in life

  21. Frontier Officially Closed 1890

  22. New Frontiers • An attitude, not a place—Walt Whitman--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG8tqEUTlvs • Internet • Belongs to everybody • No rules • Lots of new ideas, energy

  23. The New Deal—to put people back to work, to end the Great Depression

  24. John F. KennedyThe New Frontier • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsdomV7giC0

  25. Internet

More Related