Laissez-faire dominance and consequences; impact of ending of the frontier
Laissez-faire meant the government left businesses to do as they pleased, with little regulation. When the western frontier closed in 1890, Americans had to rethink what opportunity and expansion meant.
Real World
When the 1890 Census formally declared the frontier 'closed', historian Frederick Jackson Turner argued in 1893 that America's democratic character had been forged by westward expansion — its closure prompted politicians like Theodore Roosevelt to look overseas for new frontiers, directly fuelling 1890s imperialism.
Exam Focus
Don't treat laissez-faire and the frontier as separate points; examiners reward answers that link them — the frontier's closure forced a rethink of laissez-faire assumptions about endless opportunity.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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