The American Dream And The Declaration Of Independence

From a young age, children all over the world are taught that America is the "Land of Opportunity". Their parents and their parents ' parents have experienced some type of fulfillment from the American Dream which prompts them to relay belief in it to the newest generation of Americans. However, nowadays, populations of Americans have become increasingly critical of the American Dream and what that dream entails. That particular group claims that the American Dream is now dead due to many different facets of society. Is it possible to demand the "death" of an ideal that is essentially the backbone of a powerful country such as American? There are people who argue strongly both for and against the death of the American Dream with the "for" side focusing individualism and the "against" side focusing on declining conditions in America. The passionate arguments from both sides make it clear to see that the Dream is unlike what it used to mean, possibly requiring it to evolve to fit a changing nation.

The revolutionary period began with a few small voices clamoring for a revolution and a dream of freedom from past tyrants. This gave root to what is known as today as the American Dream. A dream that in the land of the free and the home of the brave anything is possible and all things can be achieved. The American Dream revealed in Revolutionary period writing, consisted of the rebellious colonists' desire to seize the current oppressive government, become citizens of a country where unalienable rights do not come at a cost, and to form a new type of dream not yet discovered by the rest world.

What is your dream for america? The american dream is comprised of many things. It is made up of things that make america better. Not only that, it is made up of things that makes us americans. The main points of the american dream is hope for a better nation, Freedom, and diverse opportunities for all that come to america.

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.

The American dream has changed drastically thru our history. Back in the 1950 and 1960 the American dream was to have the house with the white picket fence and the 2 ½ kids. Now the dream for a lot of people is to be able to pay their bills and maybe have enough money to go out for a nice little dinner that you did not have to cook yourself. The American dream is dead, it is because the concept has changed from the idea that everyone can improve their life through hard work to the idea that everyone can become a millionaire through virtually no work. The United State at one point used to have everything you needed to make this dream happen. But since jobs have been moving over sees we have lost all of that. The American Dream is so

To achieve the American Dream, one must work hard and have the dedication to be successful. There are myths relating to this dream leaving lower class members to wonder if the dream exists for them. People in lower class are told if they want to be successful they must put in hard work and true effort. Once they do, they see that they are remaining in the same position they started in. In “Class of America-2012,” Gregory Mantsios states the ideas of class in the US and explains them. One myth addressed in this selection is, “Everyone has an equal chance to succeed. Success in the United States requires no more than hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance: ‘In America, anyone can become a billionaire; it’s just a matter of being in the right

encountered by members of every level of society; however, most of all affected by this idealism

The American Dream is still very true. That's only if this country can make it happen. Our country needs be to all about motivation, and completing your job, and doing what you are supposed to do. You don't really need anything like money to have an American Dream. Just doing what you believe in can make your American Dream. The American Dream is about freedom, hard working, money. You have to work for your American Dream. In the document “The Declaration of Independance” , and the article “The Right to Fail” , and the poem “Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper”. I'm using these stories to back my argument.

The Declaration of Independence states that all people have the right to pursue happiness. This means that people can live life the way they want to as long as the do not commit crimes or hurt other. The Pursuit of Happiness is supposed to be an inalienable right to all Americans. However, the way I see it, not all people are able to exercise this right. Many people are not able to pursue happiness equally because not all people have the same opportunities. Throughout American history and even today, the Pursuit of happiness is not equal to everyone in the United States.

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

Americans have been dreaming since the Mayflower arrived in the New World and the American Dream itself has withstood threats up until this very day to all of its internal characteristics: international peace, health, leadership, wealth, supremacy, and equality. H.W. Brands states in his book American Dreams that “Americans had dreamed since our national birth, and in the twenty-first century we are dreaming still”. Both Brands’ story and Nathaniel Philbrick’s account in Mayflower assist significantly in proving that the American Dream has survived into the twenty-first century. As America is met with different governments, world wars, international conflict, both economic success and failure, and shifts in leadership, the American Dream stays alive through it all. The ideals of this dream evolve with the world and adapt to different cultural, political, and economic changes. Mayflower recounts the beginnings of new settlements on the east coast of America that would change the world and American Dreams tells the story of America after World War II and right up until 2010.

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 Declaration of Independence is most famous for ensuring opportunities to Americans that believe hard work and dedication is the only way to achieve lifelong dreams. Within the Declaration of Independence, a particular quote ties the American Dream with the individual rights that the people were granted, “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”(Mathew Clemente). Originally, the principles closely associated with the initial American Dream were best expressed by this idea, “The American Dream traditionally has meant the ability of all Americans to attain a better standard of living, including owning a home and an automobile, and having access to higher education”(American Dream). Many different individuals based on race, ethnicity, religion, and social classifications began to flee to the United States in search of the freedoms and rights the American Dream brought forth. The infrastructure of The American Dream has vastly developed into something much more complex; however, the original American Dream was much more attainable and individuals knew that they were not ensured success, but more importantly they had to devote their time and efforts to achieve

The American dream has been changing over the years. However, the reason it’s been changing may be more that the change of the times. At its core, the American dream is all about attitude. With the right outlook, it can be whatever it is desired to be. Not only Americans can have the dream, but everyone can obtain this beautiful concept of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

"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.