American Essays, Vol. 1

In 1960, philosophy professor Houston Peterson recorded two essays for Folkways: “The Ten O’Clock” by artist James McNeill Whistler and “The Significance of the Frontier in American History” by historian Frederick Jackson Turner. Whistler’s lecture/essay was delivered in 1885 in London and was a major statement on the subject of his own artistic ideals and intentions. Turner’s lecture/essay, given in 1893 in Chicago, advanced the thesis that the settling of the United States’ frontier shaped the American character—a thesis that remained respected in historical circles for many years. The texts of both essays are printed in the liner notes.

Track Listing

101	The Ten O'Clock	Houston Peterson	29:20
201	General Introduction (The Character of the American Frontier)	Houston Peterson	07:04
202	Boundaries of the Frontier	Houston Peterson	03:12
203	The Trading Frontier	Houston Peterson	06:06
204	New Order of Americanism	Houston Peterson	00:44
205	The People of the Frontier	Houston Peterson	01:51
206	Differences Between the North and South Frontiers	Houston Peterson	02:21
207	The Public Domain and the Frontier	Houston Peterson	02:13
208	Suffrage and the Frontier	Houston Peterson	02:53
209	Attempts to Limit the Advance of the Frontier	Houston Peterson	00:44
210	Intellectual Traits of the Frontier	Houston Peterson	02:59