Beltran 1 Jake Beltran Mr. Erickson AP. Lang and Comp. Period 3 March 26, 2019 The Evolution of the American Dream Many people around the world come to the United States with dreams of wealth, prosperity, and success, and many will do anything to achieve these goals. However, few people know of the true determination required to achieve this success, and many individuals often fall short. The American Dream, the belief that hard work in America will result in success, is often a misconception in American society. It has proven repeatedly to be a rat race for anyone who can endure the discrimination, hatred, and bigotry that America will offer them. Throughout the duration of the United States’ existence, literature and history have given American citizens and immigrants an insight on how exactly the American Dream came to be, what it first represented, and if it has ever given individuals a fair shot at what everyone longs for – their own version of success. The phrase “American Dream” was not coined until 1931 in James Truslow Adams’The Epic of America.Adam’s describes the American Dream as “not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable,” (Adams 214-215). While this phrase first came to exist in fairly recent history, the idea of America being the “land of success” has been documented in the early writings of some of America’s founding fathers. Benjamin Franklin himself proved to American colonists and citizens that the American Dream was possible when he left Boston for Philadelphia, nearly penniless, and achieved massive success in
Beltran 2 American society. Benjamin Franklin’sAutobiographydocumented his quick rise to success, and thus shaped the expectation of life in America - success through hard work. Franklin believed that the quality of life in America was defined by its education, and that “People… became better acquainted with Books, and in a few Years were [observed] by Strangers to be better instructed and more intelligent than People of the same Rank generally are in other Countries,” (Franklin 36). The roots of the American Dream can be found in this quote, as the common belief throughout American history is that education fuels success, and can ultimately change an individual’s social class ranking.In the late 1700s and before, such an idea was revolutionary, similar to many new ideas the political members of early America believed in. Europe was still locked in the idea of a defined social structure, with little to no room for improvement. This ultimately led many poor Europeans to America, hoping to follow in the footsteps of those before who have worked to achieve wealth and their own version of success. This movement of immigrants to America has shaped American society and culture into what it is believed to be today; a diverse land of individuals continuously working for success. While this is what
Want to read all 8 pages?
Previewing 3 of 8 pages Upload your study docs or become a member.
Want to read all 8 pages?
Previewing 3 of 8 pages Upload your study docs or become a member.
End of preview
Want to read all 8 pages? Upload your study docs or become a member.