Comparing the Texts

The Frontier as common denominator of the American Character

Both Slotkin and Turner reject the idea that America is simply a transplant of Europe,in their analysis of the frontier experience they agree that the contact between the settler and the wild environment is what created a distinct American identity.

Turner argues that the wilderness changes the colonist, it strips him of European garments, and forces him to change and adapt. The result is an hybridization of European and Native, a new american identity

Slotkin agrees with the idea that the colonists were forced to change by the wildness of the land and the presence of the Native Americans, and through this process a unique national mythology was createad.

Divergent interpretation of the role of Violence

The critical difference in their analysis of the Frontier's experience lies in the interpretation of the role of Violence.

Turner views the frontier process as a progressive and inevitable evolution, the presence of free land is a sort of catalyst for a perpetual cycle of rebirth of society, the frontier advances in waves that bring civilization where previously there was wilderness.
This cycle produces the fundamental traits of American society: democracy, individualism, a spirit of free enterprise

Slotkin instead argues that the defining American experience was the "Indian War."
The American character was created through a process of "regeneration through violence", physical combat against the wilderness and its inhabitants was necessary to spiritually renew the colonist and create a new national identity

The role of the Native American

Turner treats Native Americans primarily as a military obstacle or a common danger that forced the colonies to unite politically. He also mentions them as guides or traders, but ultimately he only sees them as a temporary barrier to be crushed by the new waves of civilization.

Slotkin places the Native American at the center of the American myth. He argues that the "Indian War" provided the primary psychological tension for the colonists. To become American, the colonist had to destroy the "Indian" to possess the land. The physical destruction of the Natives was the cornerstone of this new American Mythology and the way to tame the wilderness of the land.

The Figure of Daniel Boone

For Turner, Boone is the ultimate backwoodsman, he describes Boone as a man who combines the roles of hunter, trader, and farmer. His primary legacy is that of pioneering the way for civilization and finding the trails that allow the "farmer's frontier" to follow him,.

For Slotkin, Boone is a "Myth-Hero" who represents a psychological and violent transformation. Slotkin views Boone as a figure who becomes "Indian-like" to survive. He is a solitary hunter who acts as a mediator between two worlds. Unlike Turner’s peaceful pathfinder, Slotkin’s Boone undergoes a baptism by combat, his legacy is defined by acts of violence against the wilderness and the Natives.He represents the "regeneration through violence" required to possess the New World.

By using Voyant Tools a quantitative analysis of the two texts can be carried out to further highlight points of divergence

Turner's theis 10 most frequent terms are frontier (97); indian (38); new (30); american (30); advance (24); life (18); west (16); settlement (16); history (16); great (16)

Slotkin's text 10 most frequent terms are american (40); myth (38); indian (27); experience (26); literature (20); new (19); mythology (16); colonists (15); narratives (13); culture (13)

The quantitative analysis further highlights the differences in Turner and Slotkin's texts

Turner's Frontier thesis focuses on the material reasons for american development and expansion, the most frequent terms are:frontier, indian, american, new, advance. The primary driver in  the development of America for Turner is the presence of free land in the form of an ever advancing frontier.

Slotkin's interpretation is much more focused on the psychological aspect and the myth-building that shapes the American experience. While some terms frequently present in Turner's text are also present here (american, indian) terms such as myth, mythology, literature, narratives and culture highlight the different intent in Slotkin's analysis, his focus is on understanding the creation of a new mythology and literature around the American experience.