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.
from this passage what is evidence
1 answer
The passage you provided highlights several key characteristics and historical contexts related to the expansion of American territories in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Here are some pieces of evidence from the text that support the idea that the U.S. should have expanded its territories during this time:
Trait Development from Frontier Life: The author emphasizes that the conditions of frontier life led to the development of "intellectual traits of profound importance," such as coarseness and strength, practical inventiveness, and dominant individualism. This suggests that the expansion into new territories was beneficial for shaping American character and intellect.
Opportunity and Restlessness: The passage states, "Since the days when the fleet of Columbus sailed into the waters of the New World, America has been another name for opportunity." The idea that expansion provides opportunities for growth, advancement, and the exercise of American energy supports the argument for territorial expansion.
Breaking of Custom: The author posits that the frontier allowed for the breaking of the "bonds of custom," leading to freshness, confidence, and a scorn for older societal restraints. This indicates that territorial expansion was seen as a way to encourage new ideas and practices, vital for national progress.
Historical Context of Movement: The text mentions that "Movement has been its dominant fact," suggesting that the drive for expansion was an essential part of American identity. The continual demand for a wider field for exercise reflects the need for the U.S. to expand its territories.
Crisis of Expansion Ceasing: The author notes that "never again will such gifts of free land offer themselves," which indicates the importance of territorial expansion during that historical period. This highlights the urgency of seizing opportunities for land and resources before they are lost.
Overall, the passage communicates a strong belief in the benefits of territory expansion, both for the growth of the American identity and for the opportunities it provides for its people.
