Jackson’s Frontier and Turner’s APUSH Developed from After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection

Frederick Jackson Turner 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition: 400th Anniversary Chicago hosts 27 million people in 6 months World’s Congress of Historians and Historical Students July 12: Frederick Jackson Turner presents”The Significance of the Frontier on American History.”

Significance of Theory Defined simply as “hypothesis” an attempt to present a systematic view of a subject. Usually historians incorporate many theories, e.g. economics, sociology, psychology, etc. The role of “grand theory” Jackson rejects “History is past Politics and Politics present History” and subscribes to Darwins’ grand theory on evolution and the natural world.

The role of the frontier… 1890 census and the end of the frontier West and nationalism West and independence Individualism and democracy and the West Safety valve

The Critics of the Turner Thesis Failure to examine British traditions Failure to explain “frontier” Safety valve concept goes against settlement patterns

Andrew Jackson as the West Born in the Carolinas Moved to western section later to become Tenn. Read law became attorney – then judge, war hero, senator, then President.

Thomas Perkins Abernathy Frontier to Plantation Harvard student under Turner Use research at local level saw Jackson as speculator and purchase of land not for democracy but for profit. Jackson sold 50,000 acres and received promissory notes, eventually buyer went bankrupt and Jackson spent from1785-1824 pay off loans through speculation

Arthur Schlessinger, Jr. Age of Jackson examines East and Presidency Influence of urban in “The City in American History” Schlessinger reflects his ties as he grew up in the 1930s and was influenced by FDR (“kitchen cabinet” and “Brain Trust” and class conflict and capital vs labor Emphasis is on Jackson as president and conflict with bank and support for workers and farmers

Michael Rogin Father and Children (1960s) Accepts role of West and evolution Emphasis on Turner’s failure to address Native Americans (part of environment) and psychological theory – Freud Paternalism “great white father” Native Americans presented as “children, sons of wilderness” Looks at Jackson’s separation from parents and rage and compensation for loss “slobbering” Freudian oral relationship

Rogin (cont.) Rachel and Andrew not natural father….raised a dozen infants…most orphaned relatives Lincoya adopted after Creek war. Jackson’s paternalism towards the nation: South Carolina and the Bank

History and the historian Historiography: You can understand the history by understanding the historian… Which theory is correct?