Anglo Empires: Great Britain, America and the Eternal Search for the Frontier

I believe one of the great things about the British empire and America were the adventurous people. People who were attracted to the edges of the earth. Great explorers, scientists, soldiers, adventurers who pushed to the frontier, discovering new lands and people. Expanding the realms of knowledge and physical realms of empire. 

Resavager wrote about this frontier spirit (https://resavager.com/p/the-ultimate-frontier-and-the-american): 

“Most Americans, I believe, have a yearning for the frontier. A yearning to experience what their ancestors must have experienced when they came to the new world. They may even feel that smothering oppression their ancestors must have felt before they made that decision to leave to an unknown land.” 

The moment these frontiers were conquered, civilized or were closed off, the people and ultimately the empires began to decay. This is my sense of what is happening even now in America. Globalization and the internet being the last major frontiers that are now ending.  

Resavager describes why we need new frontiers to conquer aptly: 

“There is a great cynicism that has taken over our people. This cynicism is greater and more terrible than anyone believes it is. It is antithetical to the American ideal and pioneer spirit. If you look back to the character of the early Americans, you will not find cynicism. You will find me who believed themselves destined to conquer this new world. This new world given to them by God. They were the chosen. Destiny had decided. They believed the time ahead of them would be better than the time they were in. God had a plan for them.

There is great power in belief. It lends a heavy hand to the survival instinct and allows man to go beyond mere survival. It gives man the opportunity to leave his mark on the world. It allowed our ancestors to carve out an empire out of the new world from nothing. You are not going into space without it. Now, this isn’t throwing my hat in with one religion or another, but as Pindar said, “custom is the lord of everything.” There is an American metaphysics and Americans are most adapted to it and it will remain ingrained into our very cores until something superior takes its place.

The bare minimum a man must have is this belief, and despite everything, optimism over cynicism. No doubt this is the most challenging obstacle in our path because belief is being stomped out of everything with a merciless fury by the enemies of mankind. Without it, there is no hope.”

He rightfully calls out the last frontier. Space. I’d argue we should conquer the oceans first but space makes sense too. A place to awaken humanity’s spirit by it’s great challenge and openness, the way mountain climbers look at Everest and K2.

“Most settlers knew about the new world before they arrived. They were attracted to the idea of a new beginning in this“new world.” But the men who first embarked on this voyage to see what was out there were the men of true bravery and daring. They were the real pioneers. Men who wanted to see just how far they could throw the spear of mankind. 

Perhaps space will be the new frontier, where new opportunities and empires can be built. Exciting times ahead.