The Significance of the Frontier in American History

Rhetorical appeals to authority involve citing the opinions of experts and authoritative sources to strengthen one’s own credibility and arguments. Moreover, appeals to authority can serve to contextualize an argument within a broader scholarly or professional discourse, linking the argument to established theories, findings, or consensus within the field. This not only strengthens the argument but situates arguments within a larger narrative or discourse, thereby enriching the audience’s understanding and appreciation of the subject matter.

Appeals for authority are an essential component of academic writing: Turner’s piece frequently appeals to authoritative historical figures, documents, and data to bolster his frontier thesis. For example, he references the superintendent of the 1890 census to frame the closing of the frontier as an authoritative historical fact rather than his own contention (1); he later cites the Louisiana Purchase treaty to demonstrate federal interest in expanding the frontier (25). These historical and political references ground his arguments in verifiable historical evidence, appealing to the audience.

Additionally, Turner also invokes recognized explorer figures like Daniel Boone in order to exemplify the quintessential frontiersman identity he describes. Furthermore, quoting politician John C. Calhoun provides an authoritative source validating the rapid pace of westward settlement. These appeals seek to strengthen Turner’s credibility by aligning him with (at the time) respected figures and establish shared definitions and concepts with his audience.

Turner also uses statistics extensively, including settlement density per square mile from census records to provide scientific, factual evidence tracing the frontier’s westward march. Turner marshals these authoritative historical sources to present his perspective as the educated, rational view—lending scholarly weight to his rhetorical frontier narrative.

Contrast refers to the juxtaposition of opposing or markedly different ideas, characters, objects, or language for rhetorical effect. Through the lens of contrast, Turner illuminates the stark dichotomy between the structured, conservative ethos of the eastern Atlantic coastal regions (as well as Europe) and the untamed, opportunistic, individualistic spirit emblematic of the frontier West. This juxtaposition is a consistent rhetorical strategy through which Turner explores and emphasizes the transformative essence of the American frontier.

Turner frequently employs vivid contrast between European “civilization” and the “primitive” frontier West. He states the wilderness “finds him a European in dress, industries, tools […] and thought. It takes him from the railroad car and puts him in the birch canoe” (4). The vivid imagery of a European shedding his conventional attire and means of transportation to adapt to the exigencies of frontier life encapsulates the metamorphic journey from European conformism to American individualism—a transformation orchestrated by the contrasting environments of the frontier and the East. This contrast between refinement and ruggedness dramatizes the frontier transforming European immigrants into becoming rugged American individualists.

Turner later contrasts conservative Eastern interests trying to restrict expansion against the irresistible demands of frontiersmen hungry for land (26). Turner’s European, Indigenous, and American contrasts sharpen his portrayal of the frontier as a wild, transformative “free” American domain distinct from the tamed eastern Atlantic coast—and European—society.

Turner’s contrasts extend to Indigenous populations, whose existence and interactions with the settlers he uses to delineate the chasm he sees between the established societal norms of the Eastern United States and the formative, fluid societal structures evolving in the frontier. These contrasts are often discriminatory in nature, suggesting not a different style of civilization but an absence of civilization in Indigenous communities.