Turner's Frontier Thesis in the Modern United States Although written more than a hundred years ago, Frederick Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis still holds true to this day. Turner developed his frontier thesis as a means of determining where distinctively American characteristics developed. Turner argued that it was the Western settlers who developed a unique identity as they adapted and tamed the Frontier. Consequently, Turner saw this process as an evolution of a uniquely American culture: people who were not afraid to venture west to exploit resources. As these people moved westward in search of resources, more settlements developed in the West. While the physical Frontier is no longer present in today's America, it must simply be reinterpreted as a virtual space with economic opportunity with limited governmental influence. As a result of this reinterpretation, it is obvious that a new frontier has developed: cyberspace. While the physical frontier, or the unstable West, no longer exists today, a new frontier has emerged: cyberspace. Turner's thesis defined the Frontier as a space of freedom, individualism, and endless opportunity for those willing to venture out and exploit existing resources. This same definition can be used to define cyberspace. The Frontier was originally seen as a new place to settle and exploit resources with minimal intervention from the American government. Cyberspace can be seen as comparable to the Frontier. Today's cyberspace is a place of limited governance with endless opportunities waiting to be exploited. For this reason, the traditional West and cyberspace are defined as limitless spaces with vast economic and personal opportunities with...... middle of paper ......1893 Thesis, the Frontier process is still a predominant force in American culture. The Frontier Thesis is less about the colonization of the West and more about the adaptation of Americans to their environment to capitalize on resources. For this reason the new frontier lies in cyberspace. In cyberspace, Americans are modifying their skills and personality traits in order to capitalize on and use available resources for personal advantage. This process not only defined how the Frontier became civilized, but also explained the development of the characteristics of the ideal American. In response to their wild environment, the colonists developed some uniquely American characteristics. For this reason, the process of the West can be seen as a social evolution that has helped advance traits that are uniquely American – even in contemporary America..