Topic > The History of the American Dream

The history of the American Dream can be traced back to the 17th century, when Puritans came to America and attempted to gain religious freedom. In 1630, a speech known as the "city upon a hill" sermon was delivered by John Winthrop to the other Puritan settlers who traveled with him to Massachusetts. It is true that he did not describe his belief as a "dream", but he spoke of an ideal nation that offers all people equal opportunities to succeed through their best efforts. As time passed, the American Dream slowly changed in the minds of North Americans. During the American Revolution, America's Founding Fathers believed that the American Dream should be described as a natural right that everyone should have. The history of the American Dream can be traced back to the 17th century, when the Puritans came to America and sought to gain their religious freedom. In 1630, a speech known as the "city upon a hill" sermon was delivered by John Winthrop to the other Puritan settlers who traveled with him to Massachusetts. It is true that he did not describe his belief as a "dream", but he spoke of an ideal nation that offers all people equal opportunities to succeed through their best efforts. As time passed, the American Dream slowly changed in the minds of North Americans. During the American Revolution, America's Founding Fathers believed that the American dream should be described as a natural right that everyone should have. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Thus, in 1776, Thomas Jefferson and other authors of the Declaration of Independence defined the American dream as "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."" In the 20th century, the thriving economy of this new country strengthened the impact of American dream on people's minds. Both Americans and other foreigners began to see the United States as "a land of unparalleled opportunity." Because this country was so young and free, people were able to discover millions of business ideas and ways to take them to the next level. Whatever they did, it was highly possible for them to work hard and achieve both financial and social success. So, after traveling to the United States in the early 1800s, Alexis De Tocqueville called this American spirit as "the charm of expected success". Those economic opportunities in this country significantly boosted Americans' morale and made them believe that they can accomplish anything and succeed by working hard. Henry David Thoreau, a great American thinker and writer, described economic opportunities and American faith in Walden: “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and strives to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with unexpected success. in common times.” From Thoreau's words we can learn that the idea of ​​the American Dream became indeed well supported and prevalent in this new nation, although the words "American Dream" had not yet been invented in the mid to late 1800s , American news and literature began to use the "American Dream" widely. These two words were usually linked to ambitious Americans who moved to the West and Europeans who came to the United States to seek better living conditions of the 1900s, the American Dream was also widely used to describe the promotion of people's social classes and the idea of ​​becoming rich. In 1931, Adams published his Epic of America, and the American Dream continued to thrive into the early 1900s. However, the "Great Depression"it collapsed the American dream during the early 1930s, taking away Americans' wealth and rendering them homeless. Many Americans were driven from their homes and could only make a living by begging. With such a pessimistic economyIn this situation, the American people could not regain their American dream until Franklin D. Roosevelt came into command and tried to save the country through the New Deal. He believed that the American Dream could be saved with government support and increased job opportunities. As the working population increased, the American economy began to recover from the crisis, and the American dream did. In addition to high employment, Franklin D. Roosevelt also sought to save the American economy and improve people's lives by passing the National Housing Act of 1934, which increased home construction. As a result, owning a home later also became an essential part of the modern American dream. After World War II, the American Dream fully recovered, as the United States became the strongest and most prosperous nation in the world. According to an American Public Media website, "In 1960, about 60 percent of Americans owned a home, double the rate in the 1930s. Unemployment was low and the economy was booming. The United States had much to expect from their future material." Although the American population represented only 6% of the world's total population, it used one-third of all the Earth's resources and products. People did not care about their future and were convinced that their diligence would bring them more wealth and happiness. With the economic boom, the American dream was also exuberant and undoubted in people's minds. Thus, the typical American dream in the 1960s was usually described as money, work, a happy family and a decent house with the stereotypical "white picket fences". In the 1990s the definition of the American Dream changed again, as the government sought to increase the purchase of real estate. People believed that buying homes was the best way to maintain the value of their money, and homeownership became the new addition to the original American Dream. It is quite obvious that people were desperate in the face of inflation and investing money in buying houses was one of the only solutions to maintain their indulgent lifestyle. However, the “Great Recession” of 2009 caused huge problems for banks and caused stock prices to drop significantly. Thus, Americans who gambled their money in both real estate and finance lost terribly, and the country's morale was once again brought to its knees. At the same time, the belief in the American dream has also been questioned and debated by people. Does the American dream still exist? How to revive the American dream? These questions have evoked so much discussion and people are still looking for a way to reach this American spirit. Thus in 1776, Thomas Jefferson and other authors of the Declaration of Independence defined the American Dream as "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." ". In the 20th century, the thriving economy of this new country strengthened the impact of the American dream on people's minds. Both Americans and other foreigners began to see the United States as "a land of unparalleled opportunity." Since this country was so young and free, people were able to discover millions of business ideas and ways to take them to the next level. Whatever they did, it was highly possible for them to work hard and achieve both financial and social success. after traveling to the United States in the early 1800s, Alexis De"..