Old West

The American frontier, also known as the Old West, is a geographic, historical, and cultural phenomenon that occurred in mainland North America from the early 17th century to 1912, marked by massive migration and settlement encouraged by President Thomas Jefferson's "manifest destiny" and the idea of "Frontier Thesis". The periodization of the frontier era is debated among historians, with different sub-periods and endpoints cited, including the end of the American Civil War, the 1890 U.S. Census, and the first two decades of the 20th century. The frontier is characterized as a zone of contact at the edge of a line of settlement, and its expansion and settlement are seen as a defining process of American civilization, influencing the formation of a composite nationality and shaping American character.learn more on wikipedia