238:, the first archetype of the western hero, "An American hero is the lover of the spirit of the wilderness, and his acts of love and sacred affirmation are acts of violence against the spirit and her avatars." This is the foundation for the myth of the frontier that began in the colonies. It was further developed in the nineteenth century to meet the growing needs of industrialization, incorporating the exploitation of land. The myth of the frontier held promise of wealth in the undiscovered lands and thus encouraged settlement, but Slotkin argues that the myth of the frontier distorted the historical reality that the methods for attaining the wealth were developed in the city (and in Europe). Slotkin illustrates that the myth of the frontier was created in the colonies through violent interactions, and was developed throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to fit the needs of a developing civilization.
586:
Clark later became the territorial governor of the
Missouri territory. In this appointment Clark had to move Indians from the East to places in the West. After Missouri became a state in 1821, Clark became Superintendent of Indian Affairs. In this job Clark was charged with "keeping the Indians at peace and protecting them from the pernicious influence of illegal traders and settlers." He did this job well. However, it eventually became a job that had him relocating all of the Indians from their homesteads in the East and transporting them to reservations in the West. In this way Clark helped to further the idea that Indians did not belong, even though they had been in the East and West longer than anyone else. Clark helped to shape the West that was revered, and was complicit in relocating Indians.
101:, Turner defined the concept of the frontier as "the meeting point between savagery and civilization," and argued that this point was the foundation for American identity and politics. Turner's interpretation of American expansion was that Americans had moved west in waves, and the frontier was the tip of those movements, always the furthest point from civilization. Turner claimed that at the frontier American pioneers were transformed by their interaction with Native Americans and the wilderness to become rugged individuals who prized their freedom and individualism. As the frontier continued to move west it continued to transform the pioneering Americans who went there, and in turn transform the nation. Turner argued that
792:
Western history under the term conquest, without the concept of the frontier (including its closing in 1890). In these changes
Limerick reorients the way historians think of Western history, as she writes, "Reorganized, the history of the West is a study of a place undergoing conquest and never fully escaping its consequences. In these terms, it has distinctive features as well as features it shares with histories of other parts of the nation and the planet." She concludes that the important effects of her organization of Western history is viewing the West as a meeting ground between a multitude of ethnicities and understanding how conquest (one that was partly cultural) affected those ethnicities.
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heroes, each personifying an era in the frontier: the trapper Kit Carson, outlaw Billy the Kid, gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok, and soldier George
Armstrong Custer. Steckmesser takes the interesting approach of examining the legends of these figures from different perspectives, so that there is a chapter on Billy the Kid as 'Satanic Billy,' and as the 'American Robin Hood.' This approach illustrates the versatility of legends and the process of a legend developing an established narrative as it transforms into a mythic archetype. Steckmesser concludes that each of these legends contain a few set characteristics: genteel qualities, clever traits, prowess, and epic significance.
138:
narratives that acquire through specifiable historical action a significant ideological charge." This definition is useful in understanding how scholars study myth, and why the myth of the frontier is significant. Slotkin's definition evolves throughout the trilogy, beginning with the general understanding of the myth of the frontier as viewing
America as a land of opportunity for the strong to conquer, then incorporating capitalist exploitation of the land as America evolved into an industrialist nation, finally being used a vehicle for cultural ideology in the twentieth century era in popular culture.
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492:, a schoolteacher from Chester County, Pennsylvania. Filson arrived in Kentucky in 1783. Filson was interviewing well known men for a book that he was planning on writing. During these interviews Filson met Boone. Boone regaled him with tales of his adventures. Filson completed a manuscript that was divided into two parts that consisted of a portrayal of Kentucky, its landscape, soil, climate, and flora to name a few items. Filson, in his second section, included the stories of Boone. This book became
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foundational for
American identity. Rather than looking to the Eastern city, such as Boston or Philadelphia, as the epitome of American ideals and values, the focus of American history and identity was on the farmers who were slowly but steadily moving farther west, searching for land and a modest income. Turner's influence can be seen in nearly every single work of Western history to follow, either dealt with directly or indirectly, particularly each time a scholar uses the word frontier.
22:
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764:, and the frontier myth, fell into disrepute due to its failure to include minorities based on race, class, gender and environment. The New Western History has focused on an examination of the problems of expansion; destruction of the environment, indigenous massacres, and the historical reality of the lives of settlers. A movement was made to recover unheard stories of ordinary people, often by denouncing Turner's
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found the body of Ann, shot through the heart with arrow. Carson stated at the time "she was perfectly warm, and had not been killed more than five minutes." It was obvious to Kit that she had been brutally mistreated. Kit believed that she had been used as "the prostitute of the tribe." Her body was covered in bruises and scratches. When the men were going through her belongings they found,
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good looking. Kit was described by people that met him as being "a plain, simple, unostentatious man; rather below the medium height, with brown, curling hair, little or no beard, and a voice as soft and gentle as a woman's." Carson was also illiterate, he did know how to write his name, although he probably learned this through memorization rather than knowledge.
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105:, democracy (because of increased individualism), and a rejection of European ideals were a result of the frontier. Thus Turner concluded that America was only unique because of its interaction with the frontier and the West as it developed during expansion, "to the frontier the American intellect owes its striking characteristics."
500:
Boone he was trying to portray. Many historians have argued that Filson's portrayal of Boone is one that is not accurate. It is quite clear that in the narrative Filson changed Boone. The Filson narrative is the definitive narrative of Daniel Boone, and the one that contributed the most to the mythologizing of Daniel Boone.
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through map making, naming, and writing the narrative Clark helped shape the perception of the expedition and the West. Lewis was trained in medicine for the journey and was meant to take care of people if they got injured or were sick. However, Clark was the man that took care of the sick and injured. He took care of
577:
The journey occurred from 1803-1804 and explored the lands along the
Mississippi, and the Missouri rivers. Throughout this journey Clark was in charge of making maps, naming different areas, and writing in the expedition. Lewis had delegated these duties to Clark, and some historians have argued that
323:
films. The western myth is far removed from the historical reality of the West. Often movies, comics and
American literature neglect to show realities of the journey west, and the life on the frontier. Failing to show the brutalities of Indian warfare, racism towards Mexican-Americans and Blacks, and
108:
The heroes of Turner's thesis are the farmers, those who come right after the hunter/trapper pathfinders. In his eyes they are the first step toward civilization, and when they arrive the boundary of the frontier moves westward. In a broad sense, the notion of the frontier was the edge of the settled
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Kit was read passages from the book, and in it the fictional Kit rescues the kidnapped woman and saves the day. After this he believed that "knowing that I lived near, I have often thought that as Mrs. White read the book, she prayed for my appearance and that she would be saved." Kit was haunted by
701:
The first time that Kit encountered a dime novel about himself was in 1849. Ann White a settler going west had been kidnapped by
Jicarillas Apache Indians. Kit and his men went after them, while trying to rescue Ann they were spotted and attacked. After a battle ensued and the Indians retreated. Kit
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His death cemented his place in history. It embodied the "growing, expanding, liberating destiny of
America." His death was portrayed as the bravest act a man could accomplish. The idea that Crockett did not give in to Santa Anna and stood and fought to the last man was an idea that lasted well into
601:
Crockett was a frontiersman from
Tennessee, but he was also a politician serving the people of Tennessee. One of the main factors that lead Crockett to such fame was his "rise to prominence in politics and the consequent manipulation by the press of his public person." The newspapers had manipulated
499:
The depiction of Boone in this novel is a watered down version of the Boone. You also get staples of western mythology, Filson takes Boones story and turns it into a romantic myth. Filson used Indian warfare, captivity narratives, and journals of spiritual revelation and growth to inflate the Daniel
254:
to deconstruct the creation of the mythic West formula for literature (and later film/television) at the end of the nineteenth century. Bold argues that the mythic West formula was created by a group of writers, politicians, painters, and others, whom she calls the "Frontier Club." The Frontier Club
112:
While Turner did not create the myth of the frontier, he gave voice to it, and his frontier thesis was a major contribution to the general acceptance of the myth by scholars in the twentieth century. The focus on the West, and particularly the idealized concept of the frontier, placed those areas as
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had been killed and a banner would proclaim that he arrived too late. Through his show Cody portrayed Indians as the savage stereotype that had been pervasive throughout American society. The Wild West "confounded distinctions between reality and representation." Cody played to the presumption that
278:
Bold continues on to show how the Frontier Club used their money and influence to silence the voices of blacks, Native Americans, immigrants, and non-elite white men. They did this both in their creation of the formula for the myth of the frontier, and in public policy. In the regards to myth their
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Limerick writes, " Turner was, to put it mildly, ethnocentric and nationalistic." Further, she notes that Turner's frontier concept excludes much of geographical, technological, and economic aspects of Western life by limiting the frontier to agrarian settlements. Limerick's goal is to reinterpret
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army. These journal entries detailed the time that they fought in Texas. De La Peña details the battle of the Alamo, and in those details it was found that Crockett did not go down swinging as had been believed for many years previous. De La Peña states that Crockett and several other men had been
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is the epitome of a frontiersman and mountain man. Carson was portrayed in the Kit Carson dime novels as an imposing character, who had good looks and could conquer any task put in front of him. While it is true that Carson was resourceful and could accomplish most tasks, he was not imposing, nor
585:
On their return, Lewis and Clark were regaled in luxury. Lewis and Clark ended up going their separate ways, Lewis to work for the president, Clark to get married and work for the government, working as an Indian Diplomat trying to convince Indians to conglomerate under the protection of America.
193:
colorfully related that accounts of gold strikes in the popular press had supported the feverish expansion of the mining frontier and provoked mining "stampedes" during the 1860s and 1870s: "Every few days news would come of the discovery of a brand-new mining region: immediately the papers would
697:
The ideas that people had of Carson came from dime novels and his biography, written by DeWitt C. Peters. This book inflated Carson, and Peters is thought to have overemphasized or made up aspects of the book. Kit even thought it was more than he had told him saying that Peters had "laid it on a
332:
In the myth of the frontier and the traditionally literary Western genre that promotes it, there are several key archetypes of characters. In a study on the legends and folklore tales of the nineteenth century, Kent Steckmesser identified four characters that are representative of four archetype
233:
was a place where they could reinvent themselves. However, since the land was occupied by Native Americans the incoming colonists took the land with violence, hence the title regeneration through violence. Slotkin continues on to argue that the violent interactions with Native Americans became
726:
is a conglomeration of all of the previously mentioned frontier heroes. Cody was a showman that looked backwards at the West. He was trying to epitomize the West and the frontier hero as a time that should be remembered and enjoyed. Cody helped to make the image that he wanted. He did through
402:
talking about Daniel Boone and Leatherstocking, states "the aged Leatherstocking has likewise been driven by the increasing and unparalleled advance of population to seek a final refuge against society in the broad and tenantless plains of the west." Cooper brought the romantic tale of Indian
597:
is shrouded in myth and mystery. The Crockett myth of the frontiersman who explores the wild untamed West is largely that Myth. The Characters that arise in James Fenimore Cooper's, Leatherstocking series has elements of Crockett (along with Boone as mentioned previously). This series was so
137:
Slotkin's goal throughout this trilogy is to trace the myth of the frontier from the original colonies to the popular culture works of the twentieth century, tracing the evolution and influence of the myth (as further explained below). Throughout these works Slotkin defines myth as "a set of
484:
was the prototype frontier hero. From the beginning of his childhood he loved being out in nature. Daniel Boone had a complicated relationship with the West. He is portrayed as a frontiersman who believed that the West was a place that one could go to escape the problems of the East and
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leetle thick." Another aspect of Carson that is not true is that he hated Indians. This could not be further from the truth. Carson was supportive of Indians, having known many Indians and married them, he was opposed to the treatment that America was putting them through.
209:, Kansas, was romanticized by the eastern press. This transformed the cattle industry until the late 1870s. The former image of cowboys as ne'er-do-well and drifter changed significantly. They were now glorified as men of rough-hewn integrity and self-reliant strength.
275:) and art that distorted the reality of the West and turned it into a romanticized place. Bold argues the goal of the group was to sway public opinion so that they could lobby for legislation to protect hunting grounds in the West.
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the image of Crockett into one that fit the narrative they were trying to tell. Whether that be the romantic concept of the West. If Crockett's image had not been used by political parties, his image may not have been as inflated.
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Truettner, William, and Alexander Nemerov, "What You See is Not Necessarily What You Get: New Meaning in Images of the Old West." Montana: The Magazine of Western History, 42, no. 3 (1992): 70-76. America: History &
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efforts were successful, and the common myth of the frontier to follow this period features the white cowboy riding in to save the white townsfolk (particularly women), usually from Native Americans or Hispanics.
49:, a prominent scholar on the subject, defines the myth of the frontier as "America as a wide-open land of unlimited opportunity for the strong, ambitious, self-reliant individual to thrust his way to the top."
146:
There are two 'Wests' – the historical West in which farmers, ranchers, miners, prostitutes and criminals pursued their happiness, and the mythic West that took deep root in the American imagination.
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civilization. Yet, Boone helped to lead numerous people West, which brought aspects of civilization to the Western frontier. Boone was known throughout Kentucky as a good hunter and a reliable man.
493:
37:
is one of the influential myths in American culture. The frontier is the concept of a place that exists at the edge of a civilization, particularly during a period of expansion. The
734:
Through his Wild West Show, Buffalo Bill showed the America that he wanted everyone to see, and that he knew people enjoyed. Indian battles, reenactments of famous battles, such as
426:. These men have all been made mythical either by their own hand or through depictions of themselves that were either based on falsehoods or facts that were simply embellished.
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is a man that has been overlooked in history. While Clark had many accomplishments in his life, most have been overlooked because of an expedition that he was a leader on, the
259:(a club of elite, ivy-league white men who enjoyed hunting out west) but does consist of others outside that group. Bold notes about eight men that were key in the group, with
86:
746:
Cody earned much money during his time producing the Wild West Show. Due to bad business deals and investments he could not retire because he was broke and he died a showman.
397:
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being influential. Bold argues that it was this collection of men that brought together the cultural themes present in the myth of the frontier to create literature (
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fighting, the damsel in distress, and the hero who can accomplish anything, to the public through these novels further influencing the myth of the frontier hero.
735:
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successful and people in Tennessee knew about Crockett, they tended to draw correlations between the two. Hence inflating Crockett into a mythic character.
234:
central to the myth of the frontier, and the American hero has been one who mediated between these two worlds. The first national hero to do this was
816:
41:
occurred throughout the 17th to 20th centuries as European Americans colonized and expanded across North America. This period of time became
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have disputed the value of Turner's thesis. They argue that Turner ignored gender, race and class in his work, focusing wholly on facets of
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White, Richard. "It's Your Misfortune and None of My Own": A New History of the American West. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1991.
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The Discovery, Settlement, and present State of Kentucke... To Which is added An Appendix, Containing The Adventures of Col. Daniel Boon
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argues that the settlers brought a synthesis of romantic European myths and ideas across the Atlantic, particularly the idea that the
811:
368:
1054:. Fifth Edition. Ed. Boyer;Clark, Jr.; Kett; Salisbury; Sitkoff; Woloch. Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004., p. 537.
927:. Fifth Edition. Ed. Boyer;Clark, Jr.; Kett; Salisbury; Sitkoff; Woloch. Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004., p. 536.
952:. Fifth Edition. Ed. Boyer;Clark, Jr.; Kett; Salisbury; Sitkoff; Woloch. Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004, p. 533.
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The Frontier Hero is a myth that has been promulgated throughout the history of the west through dime novels, film, and novels.
94:
90:
1333:
Limerick, Patricia Nelson. The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West. New York: W.W. Norton and Co, 1987.
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this for the rest of his life, when a friend of his offered him a copy of the book he threatened to "burn the damn thing."
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The Eastern Establishment and the Western Experience: The West of Frederic Remington, Theodore Roosevelt, and Owen Wister
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387:. These novels were not based upon one person, however, they have striking similarities to the exploits of
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teem with accounts of its richness, and away the surplus population would scamper to take possession…"
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brought the frontier hero to the forefront of American society through his book series that included
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has devoted a career to studying the myth of the frontier, writing three books on the subject,
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the audiences had. He was criticized for what people thought was the exploitation of Indians.
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303:, are products of this myth, and still present in popular culture, as well as in the books of
147:
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162:), newspapers, and plays portrayed the West as both a barren landscape full of savages and a
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1409:
Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy Crockett's Last Stand and Other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution
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994:
The Fatal Environment: The Myth of the Frontier in the Age of Industrialization, 1800-1890
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The Fatal Environment: The Myth of the Frontier in the Age of Industrialization, 1800-1890
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Turner, Frederick Jackson (1920). "The Significance of the Frontier in American History".
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Turner, Frederick Jackson (1920). "The Significance of the Frontier in American History".
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The Fatal Environment: The Myth of the Frontier in the Age of Industrialization 1800-1890
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The frontier hero throughout history has been represented by many men. These men include
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Similarly the life of the hardy cowboy driving dusty herds of longhorns northward from
1599:
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Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West
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the boom-and-bust mentality rooted in the selfish exploitation of natural resources.
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Regeneration Through Violence: The Mythology of the American Frontier, 1600-1860
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The Land Before Her: Fantasy and Experience of the American Frontiers, 1630-1860
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Regeneration Through Violence: The Mythology of the American Frontier, 1600-1860
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Regeneration Through Violence: The Mythology of the American Frontier, 1600-1860
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country where unlimited free land was available and thus unlimited opportunity.
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newspapers, dime novels, and his stage shows, which eventually turned into the
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419:
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570:, and William had always been in his shadow. William was personally asked by
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Regeneration Through Violence: The Mythology of American Frontier, 1600-1860
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The Gunfighter Nation: The Myth of the Frontier in Twentieth-Century America
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230:
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used the term as a model for understanding American culture in his essay,
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320:
78:
1590:
Promised Lands: Promotion, Memory, and the Creation of the American West
1515:
Gunfighter Nation: The Myth of the Frontier in Twentieth-Century America
1477:
The Machine in the Garden: Technology and the Pastoral Ideal in America.
1505:
America as Second Creation: Technology and Narratives of New Beginnings
1402:
The Newspaper Indian: Native American Identity in the Press, 1820-1890.
182:
1113:. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. pp. 59–60.
178:
1484:
The Frontier Mind: A Cultural Analysis of the Kentucky Frontiersman
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Slotkin, Richard. The Fatal Environment:. New York: Atheneum, 1985.
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Desert, Garden, Margin, Range: Literature on the American Frontier
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The Frontier Club: Popular Westerns and Cultural Power, 1880-1924.
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The Frontier Club: Popular Westerns and Cultural Power, 1880-1924
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The Frontier Club: Popular Westerns and Cultural Power, 1880-1924
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The Frontier Club: Popular Westerns and Cultural Power, 1880-1924
248:
The Frontier Club: Popular Westerns and Cultural Power, 1800-1924
1246:
With Santa Anna in Texas: A Personal Narrative of the Revolution
612:
With Santa Anna in Texas: A Personal Narrative of the Revolution
1467:
The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West
1378:
The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West
1363:
The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West
1233:. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. pp. 245–247.
1188:. Lincoln, Ne: University of Nebraska Press. pp. 165–166.
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Cody helped to define American history and American identity.
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the 20th century. This idea was shown not to be accurate when
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captured and on Santa Anna's order were bayonetted to death.
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who himself was considered to be one of the frontier heroes.
1416:
Telling Western Stories: From Buffalo Bill to Larry McMurtry
1306:
Buffalo Bill's America: William Cody and The Wild West Show
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to be a part of an expedition of the West, Clark accepted.
1248:. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M Press. p. 53.
562:
Clark was a military man by profession. His older brother
1218:. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. p. 245.
1203:. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. p. 259.
1173:. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. p. 134.
1158:. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. p. 114.
1457:
Showdown: Confronting Modern America in the Western Film
1445:. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1984.
1418:. Albuquerque: The University of New Mexico Press, 1999.
1263:. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 185.
1141:
Daniel Boone: The Life and Legend of an American Pioneer
1126:
Daniel Boone: The Life and Legend of an American Pioneer
1083:. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 20, 95.
966:. Middleton: Wesleyan University Press. pp. 14–21.
654:
531:
488:
The myth making of Boone was primarily accomplished by
457:
1498:
Still in the Saddle: The Hollywood Western, 1969-1980.
1052:
The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People
950:
The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People
925:
The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People
614:
was published in 1975. This narrative was written by
1098:. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 241.
93:
in Chicago during the World's Columbian Exhibition (
87:
The Significance of the Frontier in American History
45:
and idealized in literature and art to form a myth.
1562:: Reinterpreting Images of the Frontier, 1820-1920.
1426:
Frontier: American Literature and the American West
981:. Middleton: Wesleyan University Press. p. 34.
1380:. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. p. 26.
1365:. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. p. 21.
1278:. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma. p. 191.
854:. Middleton: Wesleyan University Press. p. 5.
1545:Virgin Land: The American West as Symbol and Myth
1111:Virgin Land: The American West as Symbol and Myth
1041:. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 205.
684:The Fighting Trapper, or Kit Carson to the Rescue
398:Virgin Land: The American West as Symbol and Myth
1564:Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991.
1486:. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1957.
1452:. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1989.
1026:. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 53.
1428:. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1965.
1293:. New York, NY: Anchor Books. pp. 319–321.
1276:Dear Old Kit: The Historical Christopher Carson
1261:Dear Old Kit: The Historical Christopher Carson
884:. New York: Henry Holt and Company. p. 37.
869:. New York: Henry Holt and Company. p. 3.
1592:. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2002.
1554:. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1965.
1527:. Middleton: Wesleyan University Press, 1973.
1459:. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1980.
383:This book series has come to be known as the
250:, builds on the works of Richard Slotkin and
242:Creators and Promulgators - The Frontier Club
8:
1547:. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1950.
1469:. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1987.
1500:Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2015.
1404:Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1999.
1323:. New York, NY: Hill and Wang. p. 162.
704:Kit Carson: The Prince of the Gold Hunters.
605:The biggest myth maker of Crockett was the
1491:The American West: The Invention of a Myth
1411:. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
69:Frederick Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis
1585:. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1968.
1578:. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1920.
1493:. Reno: University of Nevada Press, 2001.
1201:William Clark and the Shaping of the West
1186:William Clark and the Shaping of the West
1171:William Clark and the Shaping of the West
1156:William Clark and the Shaping of the West
166:idealistic way of living for rugged men.
1397:New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.
566:had been a decorated general during the
263:as the founder and central figure, with
189:were idealized within American mystery.
1068:. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
842:
1552:The Western Hero in History and Legend
1479:Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1964.
1231:David Crockett: The Man and the Legend
1216:David Crockett: The Man and the Legend
1096:The Western Hero in History and Legend
1081:The Western Hero in History and Legend
1066:The Western Hero in History and Legend
817:Western Expansion of the United States
582:when she was very ill on the journey.
213:The Origin and Development of the Myth
81:first became significant in 1893 when
1308:. New York, NY: Vintage. pp. ix.
7:
1435:. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1992.
1011:. New York: Oxford University Press.
225:Beginning in the original colonies,
16:Influential myth in American culture
1143:. New York, NY: Holt. pp. 3–4.
158:), mainstream literature (Cooper's
914:. New York: Antheneum. p. 23.
899:. New York: Antheneum. p. 19.
822:The West as America Art Exhibition
14:
1244:De La Peña, José Enrique (1975).
996:. New York: Atheneum. p. 33.
812:Timeline of the American Old West
1576:The Frontier in American History
1229:Shackford, James Atkins (1994).
1214:Shackford, James Atkins (1994).
1128:. New York, NY: Holt. p. 3.
882:The Frontier in American History
867:The Frontier in American History
635:
512:
438:
340:Cover of 1888 German edition of
91:American Historical Association
68:
1507:. London: The MIT Press, 2003.
711:William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody
424:William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody
1:
1274:Carter, Harvey Lewis (1968).
1259:Carter, Harvey Lewis (1968).
738:where he would ride in after
127:Regeneration Through Violence
1517:. New York: Antheneum, 1992.
1450:Visions of the American West
1139:Faragher, John Mack (1992).
1124:Faragher, John Mack (1992).
1537:. New York: Atheneum, 1985.
1376:Limerick, Patricia (1987).
1361:Limerick, Patricia (1987).
648:to comply with Knowledge's
560:Lewis and Clark expedition.
525:to comply with Knowledge's
451:to comply with Knowledge's
376:and his most popular novel
117:The Work of Richard Slotkin
1627:
1109:Smith, Henry Nash (1950).
1094:Steckmesser, Kent (1965).
1079:Steckmesser, Kent (1965).
1064:Steckmesser, Kent (1965).
753:
25:1906 weekly magazine cover
1572:Turner, Frederick Jackson
992:Slotkin, Richard (1985).
977:Slotkin, Richard (1973).
962:Slotkin, Richard (1973).
910:Slotkin, Richard (1992).
895:Slotkin, Richard (1985).
850:Slotkin, Richard (1973).
255:is primarily made of the
1557:Truettner, William, ed.
1321:Buffalo Bill's Wild West
1304:Warren, Louis S (2005).
1199:Jones, Landon Y (2009).
1184:Jones, Landon Y (2009).
1169:Jones, Landon Y (2009).
1154:Jones, Landon Y (2009).
1037:Bold, Christine (2013).
1022:Bold, Christine (2013).
1007:Bold, Christine (2013).
770:Patricia Nelson Limerick
760:From the 1970s the term
661:may contain suggestions.
646:may need to be rewritten
627:Christopher "Kit" Carson
538:may contain suggestions.
523:may need to be rewritten
464:may contain suggestions.
449:may need to be rewritten
420:Christopher "Kit" Carson
379:The Last of the Mohicans
83:Frederick Jackson Turner
1289:Sides, Hampton (2006).
782:American exceptionalism
616:José Enrique De La Peña
257:Boone and Crockett Club
1319:Kasson, Joy S (2000).
720:
687:
344:
222:
201:to the cattle markets
65:
26:
718:
681:
385:Leatherstocking Tales
354:James Fenimore Cooper
339:
221:1866 dime novel cover
220:
160:Leatherstocking Tales
77:, the concept of the
60:
24:
315:, or in comics like
95:Chicago World's Fair
1560:The West as America
1550:Steckmesser, Kent.
827:Revisionist Western
756:New Western History
750:New Western History
568:American Revolution
564:George Rogers Clark
1581:White, G. Edward.
1463:Limerick, Patricia
1414:Etulain, Richard.
789:Legacy of Conquest
721:
688:
345:
309:Frederic Remington
305:Theodore Roosevelt
269:Frederic Remington
261:Theodore Roosevelt
246:Christine Bold in
223:
135:Gunfighter Nation.
89:, read before the
66:
63:Rough Rider Weekly
27:
1606:American folklore
1541:Smith, Henry Nash
1448:Kreyche, Gerald.
1393:Bold, Christine.
807:American frontier
772:, Michael Allen,
768:. Scholars like
724:Buffalo Bill Cody
676:
675:
650:quality standards
553:
552:
527:quality standards
479:
478:
453:quality standards
173:in the so-called
131:Fatal Environment
39:American frontier
1618:
1611:Historical myths
1531:Slotkin, Richard
1521:Slotkin, Richard
1511:Slotkin, Richard
1496:Nelson, Andrew.
1489:Murdoch, David.
1439:Kolodny, Annette
1407:Crisp, James E.
1400:Coward, John M.
1382:
1381:
1373:
1367:
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877:
871:
870:
862:
856:
855:
847:
832:Hollywood Indian
671:
668:
662:
639:
631:
618:, an officer in
572:Thomas Jefferson
548:
545:
539:
516:
508:
474:
471:
465:
442:
434:
393:Henry Nash Smith
121:As noted above,
35:myth of the West
1626:
1625:
1621:
1620:
1619:
1617:
1616:
1615:
1596:
1595:
1588:Wrobel, David.
1482:Moore, Arthur.
1455:Lenihan, John.
1390:
1388:Further reading
1385:
1375:
1374:
1370:
1360:
1359:
1355:
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986:
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894:
893:
889:
879:
878:
874:
864:
863:
859:
849:
848:
844:
840:
802:Frontier Thesis
798:
774:Richard Slotkin
766:Frontier Thesis
758:
752:
729:Wild West Show.
719:1872 dime novel
713:
672:
666:
663:
653:
640:
629:
592:
549:
543:
540:
530:
517:
506:
475:
469:
466:
456:
443:
432:
350:
330:
285:
252:G. Edward White
244:
227:Richard Slotkin
215:
144:
123:Richard Slotkin
119:
99:Frontier Thesis
71:
55:
47:Richard Slotkin
17:
12:
11:
5:
1624:
1622:
1614:
1613:
1608:
1598:
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1508:
1501:
1494:
1487:
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1470:
1460:
1453:
1446:
1436:
1429:
1422:Fussell, Edwin
1419:
1412:
1405:
1398:
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1384:
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999:
984:
969:
954:
942:
929:
917:
902:
887:
872:
857:
841:
839:
836:
835:
834:
829:
824:
819:
814:
809:
804:
797:
794:
754:Main article:
751:
748:
736:Little Bighorn
712:
709:
674:
673:
643:
641:
634:
628:
625:
591:
588:
551:
550:
520:
518:
511:
505:
502:
477:
476:
446:
444:
437:
431:
428:
395:, in his book
373:The Deerslayer
369:The Pathfinder
349:
346:
342:The Deerslayer
329:
326:
284:
283:Enduring myths
281:
243:
240:
214:
211:
148:Western novels
143:
140:
118:
115:
70:
67:
61:Cover of 1907
54:
51:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1623:
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1471:
1468:
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1458:
1454:
1451:
1447:
1444:
1440:
1437:
1434:
1431:Heyne, Eric.
1430:
1427:
1423:
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1399:
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995:
988:
985:
980:
973:
970:
965:
958:
955:
951:
946:
943:
939:
936:Twain, Mark.
933:
930:
926:
921:
918:
913:
906:
903:
898:
891:
888:
883:
876:
873:
868:
861:
858:
853:
846:
843:
837:
833:
830:
828:
825:
823:
820:
818:
815:
813:
810:
808:
805:
803:
800:
799:
795:
793:
790:
785:
783:
779:
778:Richard White
775:
771:
767:
763:
757:
749:
747:
744:
741:
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732:
730:
725:
717:
710:
708:
705:
699:
695:
692:
685:
680:
670:
660:
656:
651:
647:
644:This section
642:
638:
633:
632:
626:
624:
621:
617:
613:
608:
603:
599:
596:
595:Davy Crockett
590:Davy Crockett
589:
587:
583:
581:
575:
573:
569:
565:
561:
557:
556:William Clark
547:
537:
533:
528:
524:
521:This section
519:
515:
510:
509:
504:William Clark
503:
501:
498:
496:
491:
486:
483:
473:
463:
459:
454:
450:
447:This section
445:
441:
436:
435:
429:
427:
425:
421:
417:
416:Davy Crockett
413:
412:William Clark
409:
404:
401:
399:
394:
390:
386:
382:
380:
375:
374:
370:
366:
361:
360:
355:
348:Frontier Hero
347:
343:
338:
334:
327:
325:
322:
318:
314:
310:
306:
302:
298:
294:
293:Calamity Jane
290:
287:Legends like
282:
280:
276:
274:
273:The Virginian
270:
266:
262:
258:
253:
249:
241:
239:
237:
232:
228:
219:
212:
210:
208:
204:
200:
195:
192:
188:
184:
180:
176:
172:
167:
165:
161:
157:
153:
149:
141:
139:
136:
132:
128:
124:
116:
114:
110:
106:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
84:
80:
76:
75:United States
64:
59:
52:
50:
48:
44:
40:
36:
32:
31:frontier myth
23:
19:
1589:
1582:
1575:
1558:
1551:
1544:
1534:
1524:
1514:
1504:
1503:Nye, David.
1497:
1490:
1483:
1476:
1466:
1456:
1449:
1442:
1432:
1425:
1415:
1408:
1401:
1394:
1377:
1371:
1362:
1356:
1347:
1338:
1329:
1320:
1314:
1305:
1299:
1290:
1284:
1275:
1269:
1260:
1254:
1245:
1239:
1230:
1224:
1215:
1209:
1200:
1194:
1185:
1179:
1170:
1164:
1155:
1149:
1140:
1134:
1125:
1119:
1110:
1104:
1095:
1089:
1080:
1074:
1065:
1059:
1051:
1047:
1038:
1032:
1023:
1017:
1008:
1002:
993:
987:
978:
972:
963:
957:
949:
945:
937:
932:
924:
920:
911:
905:
896:
890:
881:
875:
866:
860:
851:
845:
788:
786:
759:
745:
733:
722:
703:
700:
696:
689:
683:
664:
655:You can help
645:
620:Santa Anna's
611:
604:
600:
593:
584:
576:
554:
541:
532:You can help
522:
494:
487:
482:Daniel Boone
480:
467:
458:You can help
448:
430:Daniel Boone
408:Daniel Boone
405:
396:
389:Daniel Boone
377:
362:
359:The Pioneers
357:
351:
341:
331:
301:Buffalo Bill
286:
277:
247:
245:
236:Daniel Boone
224:
196:
171:frontiersman
168:
164:romanticized
156:pulp fiction
145:
134:
130:
126:
120:
111:
107:
72:
62:
43:romanticized
34:
30:
28:
18:
938:Roughing It
682:Dime novel
490:John Filson
365:The Prairie
313:Owen Wister
297:Jesse James
265:Owen Wister
152:dime novels
103:nationalism
53:Definitions
1600:Categories
691:Kit Carson
328:Archetypes
317:Lucky Luke
207:Dodge City
191:Mark Twain
187:gold miner
97:). In his
1473:Marx, Leo
659:talk page
580:Sacagawea
536:talk page
462:talk page
289:Wild Bill
231:New World
175:Wild West
796:See also
762:frontier
667:May 2024
544:May 2024
470:May 2024
299:' gang,
169:Being a
142:Overview
79:frontier
321:western
203:Abilene
183:rancher
73:In the
940:. 1872
740:Custer
686:(1874)
657:. The
607:Alamo.
534:. The
460:. The
422:, and
179:cowboy
133:, and
1568:Life.
838:Notes
199:Texas
776:and
319:and
311:and
267:and
205:and
177:, a
29:The
787:In
185:or
33:or
1602::
1574:.
1543:.
1533:.
1523:.
1513:.
1475:.
1465:.
1441:.
1424:.
784:.
418:,
414:,
410:,
371:,
367:,
363:,
307:,
295:,
291:,
181:,
154:,
129:,
669:)
665:(
652:.
546:)
542:(
529:.
497:.
472:)
468:(
455:.
400:,
381:.
150:(
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