Out Of Balance In The Great Frontier By Otis L. Graham

How does Turner explain the recurring need for communication and transportation along the American frontier?

I believe the government is primarily responsible for continued westward expansion during the 1800s. Westward expansion or “Manifest Destiny” is the idea of moving west after the Civil War in 1865, Many people felt it was their “God-given right” to do so, also the encouragement of the government. The reasoning behind this is the extended land in the west with the Louisiana Purchase and the law of the Homestead Act which allowed anyone to own land, in which the U.S. government both passed. Also with the U.S. government setting policies with unclear directions about moving westward and the insensitive acts towards the people who were currently living in western areas.

“American seemed to think nothing of remarking nature for the sake of progress”, Alexis de Tocqueville, a French diplomat commented when he was visiting the United States in 1831. While the American people were overwhelmed by pride and pleasure from their achievement in making industrial and economic progress, the environment was harmed in an alarming speed. Landscape was transformed, and forests were destroyed due to industrialization. By 1990, only a fraction of the United States Virgin forests were still standing. Farmers cleared trees to plant crops, and loggers cut down large areas of woodland for business profits. More than that, the most horrific thing was the government was willing to encourage loggers to exploit the forests resources by selling them large plots of land in the North West. In other words, the government was inviting loggers to destroy the landscape. Besides the loss of forests, the increasing number of ranching boosted the erosion of landscape. Crops were

This last week in Professor Acebedo-Gonzalez’s class we read Chapter 1 in The Wilding of America: Money, Mayhem and the New American Dream. In the beginning of Chapter 1, Charles Derber gives us a clear idea of what “wilding” is and the different types of wilding that exist today. According to the book, wilding is “self-interested or self-indulgent behavior that hurts others and weakens the social fabric” (Derber, p.11). Also described in the book are four types of wilding: expressive, instrumental, incipient, and petty wilding. Derber however, focuses on one and is concerned with one in particular: instrumental wilding. It’s the type of wilding in which is most connected with Americans and the American Dream, and no one realizes what effect it can have on each other (Derber, p.7). Throughout the chapter, Derber provides stories as examples for each type of wilding that supports the definitions. On page 7 he states, “A wilding epidemic tears at the social fabric and threatens to unravel society itself, ultimately reflecting the erosion of the

A man named Robert Laughlin once said, "The Earth is very old and has suffered grievously: volcanic explosions, floods, meteor impacts, mountain formation and yet all manner of other abuses greater than anything people could inflict. Yet, the Earth is still here. It's a survivor." Laughlin clearly believes in this quote that the Earth can take care of itself. The Earth has been through worse disasters than just pollution, and extinction of species and plants. Roderick Nash, an environmentalist and activist, says otherwise.

During the years 1790-1860 many changes in the nation were occurring in the values of Americans and in their different societies. The vacant, immeasurable land in the western frontier enabled a shift of change from social, political and economic conformity to more individual techniques and beliefs away from governmental traditions imposed more in the east coast of the nation. As different factors forced people to migrate west in the country it changed not only society and values of people in the west but also the east, transforming into a whole new affluent society. As people started to realize the nations grandness and what the property consisted of the rise in nationalism became very dependent on these enlightened ideas and visions.

Dr. Forsyth implements plenty of evidence as well as proven statistics to back up his outlook on these issues. The growth of human population is happening at an exponential rate, implying that in a short period of time population growth will double. “We find it difficult to comprehend exponential growth, but it may prove to be our fatal blind spot” [3]. When analysing the world’s population over a long period of time, it took roughly 19,000 years for the world’s population to go from 5million people to 500 million people in 1500 A.D. [4] With an estimated population of 7.5 billion people [5], for a period less than 1000 years, population increased more than 1500 times its size than it was in the 1500’s. In addition, on a more minute scale of time, in 1950 the world’s population was roughly 2.5 billion people [6] in merely 50 years the world’s population has tripled. With these statics, it is evident that the world’s population is increasing at an incomprehensive rate. With populations at their peak, overconsumption is another problem this world faces, as Dr. Forsyth affirms “humans consume far more than their fair share of the Earth’s natural productivity.”[7] Due to this over consumption of resources, there is a vast demand for cheap food which results in the clear cutting of large forest to generate room for new plantations of food. When doing so, humans destroy habitats that

I care deeply about the planet Earth, the home humans originate from, so it pains me to watch “modern” society devastate natural life across the board. I feel personally connected to the issue of how we use our land. Having lived in the Lee County area since birth, I have noticed just in our own little part of the world how much “development” can change things. There used to be so much more plant life: trees, grasses, flowers and a myriad of other greenery. What was once considered “empty” lots, by some, have been adapted to suit human desires be it additional roads, restaurants, shopping malls, and a continuing spread of “chain” corporate industries. Beyond human structures, huge amounts of land also are cultivated for industrial farming

After the War of 1812 much of America's attention turned to exploration and settlement of its territory to the West, which had been greatly enlarged by the Louisiana Purchase.

Between 1803 and 1850, Manifest Destiny has termed the era of American westward expansion. During this westward expansion of American territory, slavery played a key role in the development of states and to an extent added fuel to the imperialistic fire. As claims to land were made, slavery became a prime concern and this helped force the issue of slavery into national politics.

The history of the world seldom includes the impact of human conquest upon the environment. Human’s consistently ravage the land and waters around them taking what is considered useful to mankind with reckless abandon. This continued mentality leaves the world in a damaged state unfit for life of any kind. The town of Picher Oklahoma mirrors the legacy of total human consumption at the cost of the land.

Response to Turner's Essay on The Significance of the Frontier in American History Turner's "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" essay presents the primary model for comprehending American history. Turner developed his notions on the uncovering of the 1890 census that the frontier was coming to an end, that the nation had occupied its continental borders. As Turner discusses in his essay, an extensive era of American development approached an ending, but left enduring marks on American society. A major notion within his claims of the American frontier is, "the existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward, [that]

In the 1800’s, the United States of America had never experienced a breakthrough in the expansion of land and resources like the American Frontier, even with the American Revolution in consideration. Like they did, our current nation has several frontiers of its own to accomplish. These unexplored territories include the outer reaches of space and the inner workings of digital technology. Although the frontiers of the 1800’s drastically differ from the present frontiers in identity, they liken in the challenges confronted, and still faced today.

What is happening to the Earth? Our home is becoming a barren mass of sorrow. Most people in America are blind to what is going on. Could it be that every individual is just turning a cheek the other way. America is faced with an extremely serious problem, and if it is not acted upon there will be nothing left on Earth. Hopefully it will still be able to thrive after the numerous accounts of human destruction. Deforestation in America is a huge problem with devastating affects to humans. The root causes of this travesty are mainly the ongoing need to increase America's economic growth, and the idea of frontierism. These two aspects of deforestation tie together well. Together they help define the thought process that Americans have

American frontier is the border area of settlement of their descendants of American counterpart. The American civilization was established a long time ago, but even later the American West held a great attraction for some of the men. However, the frontier began when colonists settled on the east coast of the continent the 1600s.The values represented the American frontier that are important such as Self-Reliance and Rugged individualist, American macho, Inventiveness, and Can-do-spirit. Each value represents the American frontier. For a long time, the experience for the Native American became an important part of American frontier life. However, “American frontier was romanticized in popular motion pictures and network shows that included cowhand saints battling Indian scoundrels”. Little consideration was given to the terrible story of what truly happened to the Native Americans, otherwise called the American Indians. Today, most Americans are more careful of the darker side of the settling of the landmass, when a great many American Indians were killed, their territories taken, and quite a bit of their way of life was crushed. “There is a restored interest for Indian societies, and the Smithsonian now has an exhibition hall dedicated to Indian society in Washington, D.C”.The two heroes of the American frontier, Daniel Boone, and James P. Beckwourth represent the challenges they faced in the wilderness and the American values that were