Throughout the first half of the 19th century, pundits advised American men (and their women when applicable) to go west, where the land and its resources presented endless possibilities. It was the place where one could start anew. It is a foundational myth of American history. Deadwood Dick, one of the most iconic dime novels, stressed the unwritten code of the west, the biggest one being to never ask anyone about their past. According to Richard White, people who moved to the west were able to create new identities and then live in them.
It’s hard to imagine, then, that for many Americans living along the Atlantic coast, the frontier was only a few hundred miles inland. Niagara Falls, at the point where Lake Erie empties into Lake Ontario, was one such place. The falls straddle the border between Canada and the US in western New York.
They are awe-inspiring and ageless. Historian Frederick Jackson Turner argued that the frontier was a continuous process as people streamed westward, occupying the land and creating new settlements along the way. Turner believed this was a this was restorative for American democratic values — every time the frontier moved further west, Americans rediscovered the importance of self-sufficiency, rugged individualism, and other democratic values.
Visiting the falls reminded me of this important era of American history, but the timeless beauty of the cascading waters transcends history itself. In an earlier post, I quoted Joy Sullivan’s advice when traveling West…Niagara Falls is one of those places that makes your heart soar. I last visited when I was a young child, and I am so glad we stopped there again.
Thanks for checking in.
M
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