Westward Expansion Almanac | The Frontier and American Character

• Defining the frontier
• The call of the West
• The Difficulties of Moving West
• Manifest destiny
• The American character
• Democracy and the frontier
• Spreading the myth
• James Fenimore Cooper
• Conclusion
• For More Information

The frontier has long held a special place in the hearts and minds of Americans. Since shortly after the first colonies were founded on the Atlantic coast, the frontier has beckoned to settlers. The frontier was the wilderness just outside the civilized towns; it offered people an opportunity to strike out and succeed on...