There are, of course, those who benefit and those who come up short. Washington Post photographer Matt McClain traversed this evolving frontier to look for some of the most pronounced signs of change.

“The frontier promoted the formation of a composite nationality for the American people,” he told the audience. “In the crucible of the frontier, the immigrants were Americanized, liberated ...

Amidst the excitement, Frederick Jackson Turner offered his listeners at a American historians seminar, a new idea. His thesis "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" mournfully ...

Frederick Jackson Turner presented his thesis, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History." He began by quoting from the Census of 1890: "Up to and including 1880 the country had a ...

Washington Post photographer Matt McClain traversed this evolving frontier to look for some of the most pronounced signs of change. Guided by population, employment and other data, his search ...