The U.S. SHOULD have expanded its territories in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
From the conditions of frontier life came intellectual traits of profound importance. The works of travelers along each frontier from colonial days onward describe certain common traits, and these traits have, while softening down, still persisted as survivals in the place of their origin, even when a higher social organization succeeded. The result is that to the frontier the American intellect owes its striking characteristics. That coarseness and strength combined with acuteness and inquisitiveness; that practical, inventive turn of mind, quick to find expedients; that masterful grasp of material things, lacking in the artistic but powerful to effect great ends; that restless, nervous energy; that dominant individualism, working for good and for evil, and withal that buoyancy and exuberance which comes with freedom—these are traits of the frontier, or traits called out elsewhere because of the existence of the frontier. Since the days when the fleet of Columbus sailed into the waters of the New World, America has been another name for opportunity, and the people of the United States have taken their tone from the incessant expansion which has not only been open but has even been forced upon them. He would be a rash prophet who should assert that the expansive character of American life has now entirely ceased. Movement has been its dominant fact, and, unless this training has no effect upon a people, the American energy will continually demand a wider field for its exercise. But never again will such gifts of free land offer themselves. For a moment, at the frontier, the bonds of custom are broken and unrestraint is triumphant. There is not tabula rasa. The stubborn American environment is there with its imperious summons to accept its conditions; the inherited ways of doing things are also there; and yet, in spite of environment, and in spite of custom, each frontier did indeed furnish a new field of opportunity, a gate of escape from the bondage of the past; and freshness, and confidence, and scorn of older society, impatience of its restraints and its ideas, and indifference to its lessons, have accompanied the frontier. What the Mediterranean Sea was to the Greeks, breaking the bond of custom, offering new experiences, calling out new institutions and activities, that, and more, the ever retreating frontier has been to the United States directly, and to the nations of Europe more remotely. And now, four centuries from the discovery of America, at the end of a hundred years of life under the Constitution, the frontier has gone, and with its going has closed the first period of American history.
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The text you provided discusses the significance of the American frontier in shaping the intellectual and cultural traits of the United States. Here are some key points and evidence from the text that support the idea that the U.S. should have expanded its territories in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries:
Intellectual Traits Stem from the Frontier:
The author argues that the "American intellect owes its striking characteristics" to the frontier. This suggests that expansion allowed for the development of unique traits such as "coarseness and strength combined with acuteness and inquisitiveness," which are essential for the growth and progress of a society.
Restless, Nervous Energy and Individualism:
The text emphasizes "restless, nervous energy" and "dominant individualism" as traits fostered by the frontier experience. These qualities drive innovation and adaptation, which are crucial for a nation's progress, indicating that further expansion could enhance these traits.
Opportunity and Expansion:
The passage notes, "America has been another name for opportunity," and that the people have historically been influenced by "incessant expansion." This suggests that the ethos of the American people is tied to exploration and growth, underscoring the rationale for pursuing territorial expansion.
Breaking Bonds of Custom:
The frontier was a place where "the bonds of custom are broken," allowing for new experiences and transformative changes in society. Continued expansion could similarly provide opportunities for renewal and break societal stagnations.
Comparison to the Mediterranean Sea:
The comparison of the American frontier to the Mediterranean Sea for the Greeks highlights the role of the frontier in promoting new institutions and activities. This analogy suggests that just as the Mediterranean was crucial for Greek development, further territorial expansion could have been vital for sustaining American growth.
Closure of the Frontier:
The author reflects on the closing of the frontier as the end of the first period of American history, implying that continued territorial growth was integral to the American narrative. The absence of a frontier can lead to a sense of stagnation, reinforcing the argument for expansion during the specified period.
This evidence collectively supports the notion that expansion was not only beneficial but crucial for the continued development of American society, culture, and innovation during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
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