Definition

Proper noun: - Frederick Jackson Turner: A United States historian renowned for his influential thesis that emphasized the significance of the western frontier in shaping American history, character, and democracy. He lived from 1861 to 1951.

Usage

• Proper noun:
  • Frederick Jackson Turner presented his famous frontier thesis in 1893.
  • The works of Frederick Jackson Turner fundamentally altered the study of American history.

Advanced Usage

• "Turner Thesis" or "Frontier Thesis": This refers specifically to Frederick Jackson Turner's central argument that the existence of an open frontier and the process of westward settlement were the primary forces in developing American democracy, individualism, and the national character.
  • The Turner Thesis was a dominant paradigm in American historiography for decades.

Variants and Related Words

• Turnerian (adj): Relating to or characteristic of the theories of Frederick Jackson Turner.
  • A Turnerian perspective focuses on the frontier's influence.

Synonyms

• Historian, scholar, academic: These are general terms for his profession, but none are direct synonyms for the proper noun .

Related Phrases

• "The Significance of the Frontier in American History": The title of Frederick Jackson Turner's seminal 1893 essay.
  • In "The Significance of the Frontier in American History," Turner outlined his revolutionary ideas.

Noun

1. United States historian who stressed the role of the western frontier in American history (1861-1951)