Life Liberty And The Pursuit Of The American Dream

Freedom and the American Dream are both something that Americans stand and strive for in the United States. For many it is a major part of our lives, for some more than others. When the American Dream is asked to be explained or defined a common response is that it is an accomplishment of wealth and prosperity through hard work and success, especially those living in the United States. When searched, the American Dream is described as “the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American” (American Dream, Dictionary.com). This description plays a major role as these are the goals that were set to come from the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Many fought for the right to be free especially when it came to racial inequality in our country but many did not receive these benefits or opportunities of equality as there were negative and positive effects that came directly from the Civil Rights Movement.

Lastly, the American dream could not be complete without the principle of religious freedom. This was the sole reason the Pilgrims first came to the Americas; they were escaping persecution in their native country. "For men came across the sea not merely to find new soil for their plows but to win freedom for their souls, to think and speak and worship as they

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These are the three rights granted to every American, however, this did not seem to apply to the poor during the Gilded Age. The poor lacked opportunities to climb the ladder of social class to escape poverty, and the wealth of America was so concentrated in an individual few that one man, J.P. Morgan, was able to end the Financial Panic of 1893, preventing an economic depression. The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer. The disparity between the wealthy and those facing poverty was ever growing, which makes one question, what should be done, if anything at all? This was a major problem during the time and was the topic of many debates. Figures like William Graham Sumner,

Life… Liberty… and the pursuit of happiness. The 3 things that we, as Americans all share, and that itself, cannot be taken away from us, unalienable rights, as you would put it. But, what are these things, and what do they mean. Today, I will go in depth of what they actually are.

The Course of human events has once again arrived at a time when consideration must be given by the people to dissolving the political bonds connecting them with another, and to again assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Natural Laws entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that the people should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Many human resource departments do not acknowledge resumes anymore. In fact, many of the companies offer survival jobs instead of the jobs applicants actually apply to, therefore causing downsizing. I know many may think what is a survival job? A survival job is any job an applicant can obtain in order to put food on their tables. Housekeeping, taxi driving or car detailing, to name a few, are survival jobs that offer minimum wage or tips and no source of benefits.

In the 18th century the ideas of equality and freedom started to become bigger ideas. White women, African Americans, and non-elites used examples from the Declaration of Independence, religion, and they fought to claim their rights in the United States. Any person that was not a white man was usually treated differently. African Americans were slaves, and forced to work in harsh conditions, women had to stay at home and take care of children, or work. People that were not rich did not have money to be treated equally. These people used similar tactics to be able to gain their freedom and equally.

The Declaration of Independence declares that human beings have certain unalienable rights, “that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Through slavery, these rights were systematically denied to a select class of people. George Santayana (1905) commented that, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Although abortion is legal in this country, the debate on whether it should be or not is far from settled. In November of 2014, Colorado Amendment 67 (The Personhood Initiative) initiated a state Constitutional amendment that would have included unborn human beings under the definition of “person” and “child” in the Colorado criminal code. The amendment failed. Unborn children are being

According to historians, the American Dream can be expressed in a plethora of different ways throughout history. Starting with the Puritans arriving in North America looking for religious freedom, we now have the current man wanting to strike it rich. We all have our own perspective on what we believe the current deposition has become. Have our values changed? Certainly! I believe we have values now which are unnecessary compared to our ancestor's dreams. They wish for things we take for granted in today's world: religious freedom, freedom of speech, liberty.

The Dream is when no matter what race or religion we are we can still can be accepted, the dream is about Freedom. The Declaration of Independence was penned by Thomas Jefferson who stated that all men should be counted equal which Martin Luther King Jr. wanted. The Declaration of Independence also declares independence from the British. Abraham Lincoln had ended the Civil War and was also trying to abolish slavery but was assassinated.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, three unalienable rights said to have been bestowed upon human beings at their creation and written into the Declaration of Independence as the cornerstones of what the United States government is to protect. These are three essential factors for a government to uphold, however of the three liberty is positioned higher than the other two unalienable rights; liberty being defined by the oxford dictionary as, "the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views" ("Liberty"). Colonial Americans would take up arms against the British Empire to defend their right to liberty, casting off their ties with the monarchy and establishing their own independent nation. This liberty fought so desperately for would facilitate the freedoms that Americans have achieved today. With this liberty gained after U.S. independence, great lengths were made to ensure that the liberty of political freedom would be carefully guarded to ensure that the rights of the people never came second to those in power. As a citizen of the United States, it is imperative that an understanding of what Political Freedom is must be known as well as an understanding of the ways in which the governmental structure and enumeration of individual and collective rights presented in the constitution, bill of rights, and fourteenth amendment all work

Unkept promises diminish day by day. What once may have given people ambition and zeal has transformed into a superficial and consumerist ideal. In the nation’s youth, the American Dream was a promise to the people which has failed to impart its values to future generations. This promise traces back to the foundation that “all men are created equal” and Dictionary.com’s first definition defines the American Dream as “the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American.” This is closest to the originally intended meaning of the American Dream which perhaps only a minority of the population still recognizes. Politics and economy have contributed to the significant change in meaning and

The American Dream has been a beacon of hope for people in the US for decades now, and has inspired them to seek a lifestyle that excels their current one. However, this idealistic belief possesses a biased and dishonest nature that is undetectable to those blinded by this idea . F. Scott Fitzgerald, through his novel The Great Gatsby, lifts the veil on this American Nightmare, and shows readers it’s true nature. Rooted directly to the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the concept of the American Dream claims that all men are born equal and possess the right to pursue happiness through hard work and dedication. In spite of its reputation, this false perception of freedom, in many cases, is unjust, futile, and more closely related to one’s relations rather than dedication.

“The purpose of the government is to allow for the preservation of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. That doesn't mean the government gives us life, gives us liberty, or gives us happiness. They only limit such things that will allow an individual to practice their unalienable rights. The government's responsibility to the individual is to provide a balanced atmosphere where people are able to express their opinions, be acknowledged, and feel

These unalienable rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness set the stage for the possibility of any person to pursue what makes them happy and not be bound by any restrictions since all men are created equal. This combined with the tenacity or determination of the American people to be treated equally truly defines what the American dream is.