Talk:American frontier

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This article is written in American English, which has its own spelling conventions (color, defense, traveled) and some terms that are used in it may be different or absent from other varieties of English. According to the relevant style guide, this should not be changed without broad consensus.

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Text and/or other creative content from this version of American frontier was copied or moved into Bibliography of the American frontier with this edit on 05:16, 2 December 2023 UTC. The former page's history now serves to provide attribution for that content in the latter page, and it must not be deleted as long as the latter page exists.

Wiki Education assignment: Introduction to Black Women's History

This article is currently the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 9 January 2025 and 11 April 2025. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): JanieHarrison (article contribs).

— Assignment last updated by JanieHarrison (talk) 20:54, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

“People of the American frontier” merge into “Social history”

I made the prior section very early into my editing. Looking back, it could probably be combined into the social history section; that’s if it should even be in the article anymore. Roasted (talk) 01:08, 20 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

That section has always struck me as something of an oddity (or short summaries of the Time-Life Old West series). I wouldn't object to it disappearing. Intothat darkness 12:04, 20 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Well it’s gone now Roasted (talk) 23:40, 24 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Requested move 27 March 2025

It has been proposed in this section that American frontier be renamed and moved to Wild West.

A bot will list this discussion on the requested moves current discussions subpage within an hour of this tag being placed. The discussion may be closed 7 days after being opened, if consensus has been reached (see the closing instructions). Please base arguments on article title policy, and keep discussion succinct and civil.

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American frontier → Wild West – Per WP:COMMONNAME. The ngram indicates a higher appearance of Wild West compared to American frontier. Wikiexplorationandhelping (talk) 02:04, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Support. "Wild West" is pretty much the common name. JIP | Talk 11:07, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose Ngrams are, frankly, garbage for this kind of thing. The "Wild West" period traditionally covers the time frame from 1849 (the California Gold Rush) through maybe 1900. It doesn't include the earlier periods included in the article. If we're being more specific, it refers to the period after the Civil War until MAYBE 1912. But I'm sure in the end the mighty Google will win out over RS and scholarly sources. Intothat darkness 11:45, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Support – clear common name. "American frontier" could also refer to Canada–United States border or Mexico–United States border. 🐔 Chicdat ^{Bawk to me!} 13:33, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Yet the article covers more than the trans-Mississippi West and the period between 1865 and 1912. Wild West is NOT a common name for the earlier periods and locations in the article. Intothat darkness 13:39, 27 March 2025 (UTC) I've added a link to this discussion at talk: WikiProject American Old West. Intothat darkness 13:46, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose. "Wild West" is not a perfect synonym for "American frontier", so WP:COMMONNAME does not apply here since it is not an accurate title for the scope and content of the article. For example, the article discusses Alaska and Hawaii, which are not traditionally considered part of the Wild West. -- King of ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ 18:13, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose the Wild West was only one component of a much larger frontier factor in American history. "Wild West" term is not much used in scholarly studies or titles of history courses. Rjensen (talk) 20:04, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose. For reasons stated by User:Rjensen. The Wild West is a subset of the American frontier. That's why the academic field is called "frontier studies", not "Wild West studies". --Coolcaesar (talk) 21:08, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Let me add that but it's mostly a 20th century invention as opposed to the actual frontier. Will Wright said in 2001: "The Wild West is probably the most popular myth of our time. It is celebrated in movies, television, novels, and advertising, as well as in clothes, furniture, art, music, rodeos, vacations...." [ Will Wright, The Wild West: The Mythical Cowboy and Social Theory (2001)]. See also Paul Christensen . “The ‘Wild West’: The Life and Death of a Myth.” Southwest Review, vol. 93, no. 3, 2008, pp. 310–25. online at http://www.jstor.org/stable/43472911 Rjensen (talk) 23:07, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]