美国社会与文化课程第四章教学PPTChapter 4.The_Frontier_Heritage.ppt

Settlements in 1700 Chapter 4 The Frontier Heritage “This ever-retreating frontier of free land is the key to American development.” Frederick J. Turner (1861-1932) Deng Xiaoping in Houston, Feb. 2, 1979 Content The westward movement The frontier experience The significance of the frontier 1 The westward movement1600s—about 1890 1.1 Four Stages (1) Settling along the eastern coast (2) Moving to the land between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River first type of heroic rugged individualists: survivor and conqueror of the wilderness (3) Pressing on to the Far West, between the Rocky Mts. and the Pacific Coast (4) Conquering the Great Plain second type: fighter, defender of good against evil 1.2 Motivating factors of the movement The thirst for land and riches Government encouragement: land acquisition and land policies Homestead Act, 1862: 160 acres (about 1000 mu) of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River The transport revolution: canals and railways 2 The frontier experience 2.1 Physical hardships Long and hard travel: Wagon and stagecoach, harsh weather, rough land, wild animals, fatigue, disease, and loneliness Harsh living conditions Shelter: wagon/tent →one-room cabin Man as jack-of-all-trade: a farmer, a carpenter, a blacksmith, a shoemaker, a repairer Woman as housekeeper, doctor, teacher, tailor, and mender 2.2 Political autonomy Less government control and law The problems of schooling, policing, conflict solving Local maintenance of order and self-governance 3 The significance of the frontier 3.1 Frederick Turner’s “The Significance of the Frontier in American History” in 1893 (1) Speeding up Americanization Population mobility shared experience composite nationality domestic market (2) Promoting democracy Mass political participation and Equality (3) Promoting individualism Rugged individualism