The End of the Myth audiobook cover - From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America

The End of the Myth

From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America

Greg Grandin

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The End of the Myth
Early Expansion+
Jacksonian Era+
The Safety Valve+
Turner's Frontier Thesis+
Social Democracy Attempts+
Vietnam & Reagan+
Border Violence+
NAFTA & Extremism+
The End of the Myth+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 10
According to the text, what core idea of Trumpism is directly linked to the end of the American frontier myth?
  • A. The belief that prosperity and resources are limited and should be available only to a select number of people.
  • B. The idea that America must aggressively expand its physical borders into neighboring countries to survive.
  • C. The notion that small government and deregulation are the only ways to achieve limitless economic growth.
  • D. The belief that free trade agreements are inherently flawed and should be replaced with tariffs.
Question 2 of 10
How did Founding Father James Madison view the vastness and expansion of the early United States?
  • A. As a logistical nightmare that would inevitably lead to a fractured nation and civil war.
  • B. As an opportunity to establish a massive standing military to rival European powers.
  • C. As a stabilizing force that would allow diverse communities to spread out and live peacefully.
  • D. As a temporary measure until the population could be consolidated into highly industrialized coastal cities.
Question 3 of 10
Which of the following best describes Andrew Jackson's approach to government and the frontier?
  • A. He believed in strong federal oversight to protect Native American lands from aggressive settlers.
  • B. He prioritized small government and individual freedoms, such as unfettered movement, while aggressively removing Native Americans.
  • C. He sought to close the frontier permanently to focus on industrializing the eastern states.
  • D. He advocated for a massive welfare state to support poor frontiersmen struggling in the West.
Question 4 of 10
In the nineteenth century, what became the ultimate 'safety valve' used to alleviate internal tensions and unite a divided American public?
  • A. The abolitionist movement
  • B. The establishment of national parks
  • C. War
  • D. Industrialization
Question 5 of 10
What was a deliberate misrepresentation in Frederick Jackson Turner’s famous 'Frontier Thesis'?
  • A. He claimed that the frontier was completely closed, even though vast tracts of land were still undiscovered.
  • B. He argued that Native Americans were the true pioneers of American democracy.
  • C. He suggested that independent settlers tamed the land first, deliberately downplaying the fact that the government heavily paved the way for expansion.
  • D. He believed that the frontier caused the Civil War by exacerbating the debate over slavery.
Question 6 of 10
How did President Franklin D. Roosevelt adapt the frontier concept during the Great Depression?
  • A. He launched a military campaign in South America to acquire new territories and resources.
  • B. He proposed the New Deal as an 'inward expansion' of social programs since physical geographical expansion had ended.
  • C. He offered free land in Alaska to anyone willing to farm it in order to restart westward migration.
  • D. He completely rejected the frontier myth, calling it a dangerous illusion that caused the stock market crash.
Question 7 of 10
According to the text, why did the Vietnam War fail to act as a 'safety valve' for American society?
  • A. Because it was fought entirely by volunteer soldiers rather than draftees, limiting public investment.
  • B. Because the economic cost was entirely offset by the G.I. Bill, causing economic stagnation.
  • C. Because the United States gained too much territory, making it difficult to govern the new populations.
  • D. Because wars only ease national tensions when the US wins; the disaster in Vietnam instead stoked civil unrest.
Question 8 of 10
What ironic outcome resulted from Ronald Reagan's immigration policies, despite his appeal to nativist and small-government advocates?
  • A. He completely closed the southern border to all trade and travel.
  • B. He granted a path to citizenship for 2.7 million undocumented residents through the Immigration Reform and Control Act.
  • C. He dismantled the United States Border Patrol to reduce government spending.
  • D. He established a permanent open-border policy with Mexico to supply cheap labor.
Question 9 of 10
According to the text, what was an unintended consequence of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) regarding immigration?
  • A. It created so many high-paying jobs in Mexico that US citizens began migrating south.
  • B. It displaced millions of rural Mexican farmers, leading to a massive surge of undocumented migrants entering the United States.
  • C. It completely halted illegal immigration by militarizing the border and building a continuous wall.
  • D. It caused the collapse of the American manufacturing sector, ending the need for migrant labor entirely.
Question 10 of 10
What event does the author argue put a permanent end to the myth of the ever-expanding American frontier and the idea of expanding freedom abroad?
  • A. The signing of NAFTA in the 1990s
  • B. The closure of the Freedmen’s Bureau in 1872
  • C. The debacle of the war in Iraq and the exposure of lies, racism, and torture
  • D. The election of Donald Trump in 2016

The End of the Myth — Full Chapter Overview

The End of the Myth Summary & Overview

The End of the Myth (2019) offers a revealing look at how America’s frontier mind-set has guided and protected the nation through its troubled history. You’ll see how the expansion of that frontier has served to keep fundamental problems of racism and inequality from being dealt with and find out if the myth of the American frontier has finally died.

Who Should Listen to The End of the Myth?

  • History buffs interested in the legacy of the United States
  • Anyone outraged at the mistreatment of migrants at the Mexican border
  • Students of political science and sociology

About the Author: Greg Grandin

Greg Grandin taught at New York University before joining Yale University’s history department. He’s also served on the United Nations Truth Commission and received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the New York Public Library. His books include The Empire of Necessity and Fordlandia, which was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award. 

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