How did the frontier set America apart from other countries?
SEYMOUR MARTIN LIPSET: The difference between the American society and European society is fairly clear and fairly obvious. Europe is much more stratified, Europeans had a feudalism with a greater respect for the privileged classes. The United States was called a settler society, formed by people coming here. But it wasn’t the only settler society. Canada is a settler society in the same sense that the United States is. Australia is a settler society, New Zealand, Argentina, [some] Latin American countries [are settler societies]. And [so you might think that] they all should look like the United States. [But] they don’t, in large part, because their history is different. It’s not only the frontier which [accounts] for America being exceptional. If you look at Canada and the United States, [despite their similarities,] these are two quite different countries. [One] striking difference between their [frontier and ours is evident in] the Indian wars. The biggest event which is commemorat
