American Dream

Overview

The American Dream is a complex and multifaceted concept, deeply entrenched in the national ethos of the United States. The phrase itself was coined by James Truslow Adams in his 1931 book “The Epic of America”, but the idea has roots that go back much further, touching on themes found in the Declaration of Independence and the country’s pioneering frontier spirit.

In essence, the American Dream is an idea that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. It’s a belief in the possibility of a better life, regardless of one’s origins or current circumstances. The dream often involves aspects such as homeownership, financial stability, a good education, and the opportunity for one’s children to do better.

The American Dream, however, is not one-size-fits-all. It varies greatly from person to person, often influenced by factors such as socioeconomic status, race, cultural background, and personal values. For some, the dream may be a simple, yet meaningful life with a stable job, a family, and a home. For others, it may mean achieving extraordinary wealth and fame. The diversity of these dreams is a testament to the country’s multifaceted society and the freedom of choice it promotes.

Yet, the American Dream is not without its critics. Some point out that the reality is often far from the ideal, with social mobility becoming increasingly difficult due to income inequality, systemic racism, and other societal barriers. Critics argue that the American Dream has been warped by consumerism and the belief that wealth equates to happiness.

In conclusion, the American Dream is a deeply ingrained part of American identity. Despite its criticisms and evolving nature, it continues to be a beacon of hope and aspiration, a testament to the values of freedom, equality, and opportunity that are so closely associated with the United States. Its continued resonance suggests that the pursuit of a better life, in whatever form that may take, remains a fundamental part of the human experience.

Context

The Epic of America

James Truslow Adams

Get this on:

Amazon

When you purchase through links on my site, I may earn a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Your support is greatly appreciated!

He has endeavored in particular to trace the beginnings at their several points of entry of such American concepts as “bigger and better,” of our attitude toward business, of many characteristics which are generally considered as being “typically American,” and, in especial, of that American dream of a better, richer, and happier life for all our citizens of every rank which is the greatest contribution we have as yet made to the thought and welfare of the world. That dream or hope has been present from the start. Ever since we became an independent nation, each generation has seen an uprising of the ordinary Americans to save that dream from the forces which appeared to be overwhelming and dispelling it.

The American dream was beginning to take form in the hearts of men. The economic motive was unquestionably powerful, often dominant, in the minds of those who took part in the great migration, but mixed with this was also frequently present the hope of a better and a freer life, a life in which a man might think as he would and develop as he willed. The migration was not like so many earlier ones in history, led by warrior lords with followers dependent on them, but was one in which the common man as well as the leader was hoping for greater freedom and happiness for himself and his children. Englishlike, it was for particular liberties for themselves and not a vague “liberty” in itself that they crossed the sea. The dream was as yet largely inchoate and unexpressed, but it was forming.

If a distinction had developed between rich and poor, nevertheless even the poor were better off, freer and more independent than they had been in Europe. Above all, they had glimpsed the American dream. English, Irish, Scotch, Germans, all who had come to our shores, had come to find security and self-expression. They had come with a new dynamic hope of rising and growing, of hewing out for themselves a life in which they would not only succeed as men but be recognized as men, a life not only of economic prosperity but of social and self-esteem. The dream derived little assistance from the leaders in America. It was arising from the depths of the common mass of men, and beginning to spread like a contagion among the depressed in the Old World. It was already beginning to meet with opposition from the “upper classes” in the New, but it was steadily and irresistibly taking possession of the hearts and minds of the ordinary American. It was his Star in the West which led him on over the stormy seas and into the endless forests in search of a home where toil would reap a sure reward, and no dead hands of custom or exaction would push him back into “his place.”