Turner believed that the people who shaped “American character” were people who...?

Answer 1

... explored the Frontier. Turner tried to answer the question: "what is an American?" In his time, most historians tried to explain what made an American by pointing to their European roots. For them, an American was a European who lived in America. Turner, however, saw the American as an entirely new kind of person. This American character was shaped by the Western Frontier, he said. The thing that makes Americans so typically American is this spirit of leaving your known world behind and venturing into the unknown to build a better life with your own two hands. These pioneers knew it was dangerous to push into these unfamiliar lands. They were aware that bracing the elements would be tough, that there would be nothing built yet like what they were used to, that they might end up fighting Native Americans, but they still considered it worth it to enjoy their freedom and find the perfect spot to build their own utopia. If they wanted food, they would have to hunt or gather it themselves. If they wanted shelter from the elements, they would have to build it. You want a road? Better make one! Once some exploring had been done, more people would follow: hunters, trappers, traders, farmers... who would make up new communities from scratch. And then it would start all over again, with people who were curious about what the land more to the West was like. Could they maybe find an even better spot there? According to Turner, they all did this because they felt confident that even though things were hard, they would be able to build a better life for themselves. You had to be daring, willing to risk everything, optimistic that you would be able to make things go your way, creative to solve problems, able to rely only on yourself. All those things, make Americans different from Europeans in Europe or other people elsewhere. The Frontier is what made Americans into Americans, according to Turner.