American Dream: the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to every American. In the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers announced "that all Men are created equal" (Jefferson) yet in society there is a presence of inequality and injustice in the social hierarchy. As the draftsman of the Declaration of Independence and one of the four Founding Fathers of the United States, Jefferson dreamt of a land of equality and righteousness amongst the citizen of America. Whereas Martin Luther King Jr. visioned a unity between two opposing races; African-Americans and the whites. The difference between these two past leaders were their time and environmental differences as well as each man's ideology on the American …show more content…
In the eighteenth century, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence which states the Colonies' emancipation from its motherland, England. Jefferson's famous quote derived from the Declaration, "... held certain truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" (Jefferson) is considered as the foundation of the American Dream. As mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed," (Jefferson). The government was formed to protect the rights of people and that its power comes from the citizens themselves. Jefferson's vision of the American Dream consists of a democratic government that has the ability to adapt to and meet the needs of the people's will and wishes as well as equality amongst all. His vision did not exclude any particular group of Americans and was meant to include all Americans regardless of their …show more content…
Hillary Clinton, who is the first woman selected to become the presidential nominee of a major political party. Hillary Clinton perspective to mainstream society is both of an insider and outsider. Clinton has a high status in the terms of social class and political influence; however, she faces limitations posed by her gender. The limitation is often due to the male dominance in America's society, which can hinder the actions and words of a woman. She believes that "the American Dream is big enough for everyone to share in its promises" and that if one is willing to work do their part in society, they are able to attain a successful future. Hillary is often described as a listener by her co-workers for she travels to numerous states to listen to the issues of the people and act upon it to resolve the situation. Hillary's vision of the American Dream coincides with King's due to the similarity of purpose; both advocating for equality and justice for minorities. As King advocated for African-Americans, Hillary advocates for the entirety of the minority as well as women's rights and equality in society. In contrast, the Republican nominee for the 2016 presidential elections has addressed an ideology of the American Dream that opposes the vision of Jefferson, King, and Clinton. Trump states that the American Dream is dead. His American Dream focuses on
In comparing Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists, The Declaration of Independence, and U.S. Constitution, it is evident that the basis of all three documents is the idea that all human beings possess God-given fundamental rights and that government is created to protect those rights. The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, is the first of the three documents penned. This is important because it defined the rights of liberty and equality of all American citizens as outlined in John Locke’s natural law thesis (Martin, page 113). In addition to providing an itemized account of the grievances colonist’s held against King George III of England, it served to justify the colonist’s quest for independence and separation from British rule. The Declaration of Independence conveyed to the crown that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, which among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The Founders’ of the New World understood that their pursuit of liberties and autonomy specified in the Declaration of Independence could not come to fruition without instituting decrees. In 1787, the U.S. Constitution, was written to replace the Articles of Confederation with a better defined series of stringent laws that would legally uphold the freedoms and privileges established in the Declaration of Independence. The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights in
This leads to the Declaration of Independence which was adopted July 4, 1776. This document was meant as a self-esteem boost for the new Americans; giving them inalienable rights. “The most important statement in the declaration is the human rights, where the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are extolled” (Gaynor). “He [Thomas Jefferson] wrote: "... it was intended to be an expression of the American mind" (Early America). Jefferson meant that the American people wanted freedom from high taxes and the big government in England.
The Ideals of the Declaration of Independence are the foundation of a prosperous and strong government. They hold up the government that protects the people and without the ideals, the rights and abilities of all, would tremendously suffer. In June of 1776, Thomas Jefferson was appointed by the Continental Congress to write the Declaration of Independence that would finally declare independence from British rule. Thomas Jefferson with the help of Benjamin Franklin, wrote the document which included four ideals that to this day outline our government and way of life. Equality, Unalienable Rights, consent of the governed, and the most important, the right to alter or abolish, are the foundation of our government. These ideals have allowed the
Thomas Jefferson was the head of a five man board that wrote the Declaration of Independence. This powerful document was signed into history on July 4, 1776 by the second continental congress members. Jefferson organized the Declaration of Independence to make it a significant artifact. The Declaration of Independence serves as a formal announcement which outlined conditions of agreement regarding freedom. It gave the 13 colonies freedom from England’s law. It consists of three different sections: the preamble, middle section and the part declaring independence. The preamble section of the Declaration of Independence is the part that actually justifies Americans’ rights. It is viewed as the most important section because it simply declares that “all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights...” This particular section gives the American citizen the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The middle section talks about why the colonists were revolting against the British Empire. Lastly, the final section declares
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (qtd. in Allison 65). Before 1776, Colonial America was a colony of Great Britain. Then, when their mother country became too oppressive, brave revolutionaries planned a Declaration of Independence to rid themselves of their bonds. This document launched the colony into The Revolutionary War with Great Britain. Eventually, The United States of America gained independence at the hands of many brave men and women. Prominent among these heroes and heroines is Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of Independence. Apart from the
On June of 1776, the Declaration of Independence was born. Drawn up by Thomas Jefferson and based on the works of John Locke, the general purpose of the document was to clarify that governments have conditional, not absolute authority over the people; that human beings possess natural rights that can’t be taken from them and government is created to protect those rights. The phrases “unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and “all men are created equal” were the main theme of the social contract written for the small colonies of what would be the basis of the United States of America to declare independence from Great Britain and its tyrannical king. However, “unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and “all men are created equal” did not apply to African Americans, enslaved or free for the coming years.
America prior to the civil rights movement was tailored towards white people, and when The Declaration of Independence was written, black people were not even considered to be people. “all men are created equal”(The Declaration of Independence) was written with only white men in mind, as evident from the way people of color were treated for over one hundred years afterward; however, the “ I Have a Dream” speech sought to include people of all races. Dr. King saw that the people of color had long been left out of the
Jefferson began the document by explaining that the rights of the Americans had been brutally molested by the unjust King of Britain. Following this accusation, he provided evidence of this abuse by listing not just a mere handful, but 27 grievances that the King had inflicted against the colonies. Lastly, the conclusion of this article publishes and declares that the United Colonies have the right to be freed from the British and that they have the right to govern themselves as any free country does. The strategic organization of the Declaration of Independence allowed the colonies to be powerfully represented by such a clear and prudently worded
The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson when he had the vision that America should be liberal. This document written in 1776 announces that the thirteen American colonies now proclaimed their independence from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence shapes our ideal vision of America by stating that all individuals have inalienable rights, requiring life, liberty, and property. If any of these rights are not protected, people have the right to abolish the government. The document also highlighted the reasons for this action by listing political and moral injustices made by the King of Great Britain over the American colonies.
Do you know what the American dream really means? Dr.Martin Luther King Jr understood what that dream meant. King was a man who was all about equality, he believed that all men and woman no matter what race, religion or beliefs they had should all be equal. The American dream reminds us that every man is heir to the legacy of worthiness, that the dream had challenges as they faced it. Dr.King had a dream that one day America would become a better place he believed that America is essentially a dream, it was a dream that was yet unfulfilled. Yet it took us so long to discover the substance of this American dream though it was shown in the Declaration of Independence. This document had specific words that showed people what the American dream really meant, these words were “We holds these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by God, Creator, with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Dr.Martin Luther King Jr used Aristotle’s rhetorical devices ethos, logos and pathos to explain the American dream.
One of the most famous quote people remember from the Declaration of Independence was, “ We hold these truths to be self- evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ Adams persuaded the committee to select Thomas Jefferson to compose the original draft of the document, which Congress then would edit to create the final version. The Declaration was an explanation of why Congress had voted on July 2 to declare
Admittedly, Hilary Clinton has spoken around the world about the challenges that women have faced. However, it is the continued struggle of American women that inspires and fuels her passion and fight for equality in this male-dominated culture. Also, while married to bill Clinton who was actively involved in women’s right, Hilary advocated for a standard of equality that embrace all colors and cultures. . Clinton establishes ethos when she states, “Over the past 25 years, I have worked persistently on issues relating to women, children, and families. Over the past two and a half years, I've had the opportunity to learn
“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This statement of declaration holds the founding ideas of the American Dream that “all men are created equal with certain rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. American culture has implanted the idea that we live in a land of opportunity where the American Dream is possible for all citizens. Millions of people from across the globe travel to the United States with the hopes of gaining a piece of the pie (The American Dream). This declaration sounds convincing and easily obtainable, but it is? In his article, “Master of Desire,” Jack Solomon states “The American dream has two faces: the one communally egalitarian and the other competitively elitist…Even as America’s great myth of equality celebrates the virtues of mom and apple pie, it also lures us to achieve social distinction, to rise above the crowd and bask alone in the glory”. Simply put, the American dream promotes the concept of “one for all and all for one” yet entices its citizens with the idea that to succeed it’s every man for themselves. Jack Solomon was right in his claim that the American dream incites competition, yet competition is necessary to achieve success.
Throughout history America has been the arriving place of immigrants searching for a better life. America is perceived as the land were endless opportunities are available. The greatest explanation of the American dream is Martin Luther King, Jr. speech; I Have a Dream. Dr. King speech is more like a testimony of truth, rather than a speech. At the time of his speech African Americans were not free, while the Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal. Dr. King’s movement established the way for the idea that there is an American dream. The idea that somebody can be anything they would like to be. This idea is still relevant now in America. Americans pursue their dream everyday by having the opportunity to attend
"All Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among there are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness". It is in this sentence from the Declaration of Independence, that the idea of the American dream has its roots. The phrase, “the American dream” can mean many different things, but among the most basic interpretation is that America is a land of opportunity and freedom for all who come to it. The idea of the American dream has influenced people to come to America in search of economic opportunities, political choice, and religious freedom.