The so-called "frontier" was a sort of no-man’s land where no form of government, or culture, could claim effective control over any other. For the first settlers life in the frontier was actually hard and dangerous, surely more than the one in the new big towns. A small group of wealthy whites owned the best lands on the eastern coast and most of the remaining – less lucky – whites were forced to look for new lands westward in order to satisfy their thirst for private property. Redskins were an actual threat and surviving could be extremely difficult. Ever since the XIX century the "Far West" – a border line that was moved westward day by day as a result of new conquered lands often to the detriment of Indians – has been the subject of serious reflexions. The Frontier soon became a symbol, a sort of limit, or a meeting point, between the Europeans and their values and the Redskins and their ancient traditions, between "civilization" and "savagery". For too many years the Frontier and the brave whites who defeated the Redskins have been a myth at the basis of popular novels and western films. Presently such an idea has been revised and Indians were given back their high level of civilization, traditions and social organization.

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