The Land of Opportunity and Wealth Essay

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These words should sound familiar to most people. They were included in the Declaration of Independence, which was mainly written by Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration announced America’s separation from Britain, tyranny, and the monarchy.

James W. Loewen, essay “The Land of Opportunity,” discusses how many times Americans don’t know about social classes and the effects they have on society. Loewen argues that the common American people aren’t given equal opportunity in this day in age. He says that American history books have great influenced what we see about the class system because a great deal of history is often left out.

In his excerpt entitled The Land of Opportunity author James Loewen highlights the invisible struggles of the middle class. Loewen’s chief complaint is that the segregation and exploitation of the working class has been marginalized by the American social elite and all but erased from high school history books. Mr. Loewen posits that the authors of our children’s textbooks “construe labor history as something that happened long ago, like slavery, and that like slavery, was corrected long ago” (Loewen). While it may be seen as insensitive to compare the labor movement to slavery, Mr. Loewen is joined by other authors and activists who argue against rewriting or marginalizing our history in order to preserve our “national identity”. In order for our nation to continue to excel, we must learn from our mistakes not hide them. American history has been tumultuous and rife with conflict; which has led to a shift in ideals, and thus aided in the elevation of the people as a whole – this struggle is necessary and must continue.

Everyone knows what the word poverty means. It means poor, unable to buy the necessities to survive in today's world. We do not realize how easy it is for a person to fall into poverty: A lost job, a sudden illness, a death in the family or the endless cycle of being born into poverty and not knowing how to overcome it. There are so many children in poverty and a family's structure can effect the outcome. Most of the people who are at the poverty level need some type of help to overcome the obstacles. There are mane issues that deal with poverty and many things that can be done to stop it.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that as of 2015, 100% of married couples had at least one family member employed, including 19.4% of married-couple families had no one working. In 36% of that 100, the man was employed in that relationship. The possible reason why so many Americans aren’t working could be due to the fact that the way money is distributed in America isn’t what the people think it is, and it isn’t even close to the ideal. Uneven distribution of wealth is the cause of poverty is the United States, and here’s why.

America is a land of freedom and opportunities. Many people from all around the world travel to come live in America. These people do this because they might not have the same chances of being able have a better lifestyle in their other country. Having limited opportunities in your country is bad, which is why America provides uncountable opportunities that makes America a land of opportunities. Another example that shows that America is a land of freedom and opportunities is that freedom in America is great.

Is the American Dream still alive today? America is dubbed the land of opportunity, but how much opportunity does America really supply to its citizens? Or is it that Americans just don’t have the drive or the perseverance to put themselves out there, to achieve what they certainly want in life? As Marie Curie once said, “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that thing must be attained.” With a little hard work, perseverance, and determination people should not be afraid to fail, and should make opportunities for themselves. Anyone with these traits should

The issue of poverty in the United States seems to lie on the grounds of race education and family structure. As expected I found that educational levels paralleled poverty levels. Unexpected , research was found to prove that race did in fact play a substantial role in poverty. Family structure along with other influential factors either locked an individual into poverty or provided a means for escape from the continuing cycle. Other factors contributing to poverty was the location of homes or neighborhoods and the accessibility to better paying jobs.

Students have debated over whether Early America was a land of opportunity. Early America had aspects in which it was a land of opportunity, and aspects in which it restricted opportunities, when considering politics, economics, and society. A land of opportunity is one that gives equal access to resources to all groups within the US in order to succeed. Although there were ways Early America was a land of opportunity, Early America was not completely a land of opportunity because only predominately white men and the rich were given these opportunities, while other groups had limitations which made it was difficult to earn equal rights and participate in the same practices. Body Politics Opportunities Early America was a land of opportunity because it gave people the opportunity to move up in politics.

Immigration to America is often a decision made in order to discover a better life for a family or individual. America’s founding ideals are usually what compel foreigners to move to the US. The stories of America being the “Land of Opportunity” have continued to persuade people to immigrate. Although immigration in the 20th century is much different from recent immigration, the underlying reasons for moving to the US are usually quite similar.

Countries around the world have always had a keen eye on the economy and events that occur in the United States of America. Many inhabitants of under developed countries seek sovereignty in the foreign land of America. Authors such as Cox and Alm’s established arguments that envelopes readers in the very agreeable idea that the present U.S. economy reflects the classic phrase “Land of Opportunity” (Cox and Alm’s 62). Alternatively, in the past the US suffered from severe prejudices of racial discrimination, which civil rights activist such as Martin Luther King focused on eradicating. Since the mid nineteenth century America has lived up to the phrase “Land of Opportunity”, because time has done away with segregation, and general discrimination among the people. The stature of the economy in the terms of equal opportunity has very much changed over the decades, and the issues

If you had been a landless laborer or small farmer, would you have moved out west? Would you have rather lived in a cramped city tenement and worked in a factory or lived in a sod house in Nebraska? While it would be hard, and I would have little chance of moving up and living comfortably, I would choose to move west. To me, having some space, being able to make your own food, water, and live on your own would not only be easier and less stressful, but it would be freeing.

Imagine that you and your next door neighbor were going to run a foot race. Then, your neighbor's friend holds you stationery until your neighbor has completed a great portion of the race. Finally, your neighbor's friend releases you so that you may complete in the race. Sprinting vigorously and freely, it would be nearly impossible to win. Could you win or at minimum, could you be any type of competition? This analogy is equivalent to the governmental position taken in the 1960's particularly 1968—the year that the Civil Right's Act was enacted. But, why mention the Civil Right's Act, everyone is equal now right? Wrong! The act was a success on paper, but failed to do the most important thing, and that is to give people in poverty

It is an old problem for societies, how to take care of and rehabilitate the downtrodden. America is known as "the land of opportunity": where anyone can make it no matter their nationality, color, or sex. And while much of America aspires to, and many Americans achieve a life of relative economic stability, there are those who, for various reasons, have not been so lucky. Despite the numerous non profit, and governmental aid programs designed to assist and rehabilitate the homeless, the homeless population continues to rise (according to a 2013 U.S. Mayors report, 52% of surveyed cities reported growing homeless populations) (Cochran, 8). For those unfortunate enough to find themselves without a home, clawing their way out of homelessness on their own has proven to be extremely difficult. Not only are the homeless at a disadvantage in the job marketplace, but many homeless grow a strong connection to the homeless community that welcomed them in upon landing on the street, and are reluctant to leave it, even if that means remaining homeless. While the government and aid organizations are attempting to minimize the crisis, past solutions either provide housing for the few lucky homeless, or they attempt to provide jobs, but not both. Given the need for a package deal, one potential (yet underused) solution is the creation of community-run working towns which would be able to provide a strong incentive for whole communities of homeless to move in and begin working, thus

Economic freedom is the ability for an individual to prosper with minimal intervention from government. In an economically free society, individuals are empowered to succeed or fail based on their own individual abilities. Higher levels of economic freedom lead to higher levels of economic growth and income. The level of economic freedom varies among different regions and countries across the globe. Thus, levels of prosperity and wealth also vary widely across the globe. The Heritage Foundation, in cooperation with The Wall Street Journal, researches several factors to measure economic freedom across the globe. The Foundation issues the results of their research in the Index of Economic Freedom. The Foundation