Which 19th-century legislation most directly supported the 'farmer's frontier' described by Turner?
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Correct answer: The Homestead Act of 1862
The Homestead Act provided 160 acres of public land to any settler who would farm it for five years. This law accelerated the settlement of the Great Plains and the 'closing' of the frontier line Turner wrote about.
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More Turner's Frontier Thesis questions
- According to Turner, why did the 'mountain man' and 'fur trader' represent the earliest stage of the frontier?
- How did the Frontier Thesis influence U.S. foreign policy at the turn of the 20th century?
- What is the primary significance of the World's Columbian Exposition in relation to Turner's Thesis?
- In his 1893 essay, Frederick Jackson Turner argued that the most important factor in shaping a distinct American identity was:
- According to the Frontier Thesis, the frontier acted as a 'safety valve' for American society by:
- What specific event prompted Frederick Jackson Turner to write 'The Significance of the Frontier in American History'?