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No one knew that a new land existed and the magnitude in which it would shape and influence the world. This new land soon known to many as America became the main theatre of the 16th and 17th centuries also known as the colonial period in which the European continent stretched out its borders which began an unprecedented age of exploration which held unlimited possibilities. The discovery of the New World also led to the discovery of the American Dream which became defined by the colonial Americans and generations to come as a second chance for economic opportunity and religious freedom.
The first colonists to arrive in America established Jamestown, Virginia and sought new economic opportunities away from Europe. After the Spanish discovered the West Indies and the rich mines they held, young English men also sought these riches on the North American mainland (Byrd 131). Unfortunately, gold was not to be found and the desire to survive finally became the top priority. Under the leadership of John Smith, the starving colonists were forced to get their hands dirty and farm the land to maintain their hold in the New World and well as maintain friendly relations among the American Indians (Byrd 133). This new economic opportunity represents and defines the American dream in the New World as one in search of a better, fuller life. In many ways the American Dream was also defined as a means of escape during the journey from the Old World to the New. Third and fourth sons of prominent families in the British Empire were often left out of the family inheritance and decided to create their own wealth elsewhere.
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...iding Line.” Elements of Literature: Fifth Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2008. 131-135. Print.
“The Colonial Period.” American History From Revolution to Reconstruction and Beyond. University of Groningen, n.d. Web. 22 April 2014.
Cullen, Jim. The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea That Shaped a Nation. New York: Oxford, 2003. Print.
“Early Colonial Era.” The History Place. The History Place, n.d. Web. 22 April 2014.
Edwards, Jonathan. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Elements of Literature: Fifth Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2008. 46-50. Print.
Eliot, John. “Puritan Missions To The Indians.” Puritan Missions To The Indians (2009): 1. Middle Search Plus. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
“People & Ideas: The Puritans.” PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 23 April 2014.
“The Reformation.” History.com. A&E Networks, 2009. Web. 1 May 2014.
Smith, Carter. Daily Life, A Sourcebook on Colonial America: The Millbrook Press, Brookfield, Connecticut 1991
In attempting to define the American Dream, considered more of an individual definition today, one would need to take into consideration the cultural background and location of the individual. In April of 1630, traveling across the Atlantic on board the sailing vessel Arbella, the original American Dream was a community sense of hope and prosperity among English Puritans seeking a new beginning in New England. Before setting sail, from Southampton on that chilly April day in 1630, Reverend John Cotton provided the company with a farewell sermon entitled “God’s Promise to His Planation.” Starting the sermon with a reading from the second book of Samuel, Chapter 7, verse 10: “I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more.” Cotton is confirming what many had already decided upon, that they were God’s chosen people and it was their right and duty to America and carry out his work.
In today’s society the idea of “American Dream” has become a controversial and widely interpreted issue that awaked opinions and research from professionals in fields such as Economics and Journalism because of the concept that in general the American dream involves. In his essay, “Hiding from Reality,” Bob Herbert examines how the achievement of the American dream is affected by the economy and quality of education in American society, and the effect of the inadequate utilization of the sources by the politicians will impact future generations. Despite his diverse points of view to determine if the American dream is still a viable element in today’s US society, the restauration of the American
In the United States there is an idea many pursue called the American dream, which differs from person to person. The American dream according to americanradioworks.publicradio.org is “a revolutionary notion: each person has the right to pursue happiness, and the freedom to strive for a better life through hard work and fair ambition”. Yet it has been said there is no real definition of American dream, instead it merely proves that it has an unconscious influence in American mentality (Ştiuliuc 1). The American dream is different for each person because everyone yearns for things that will they hope will in return make them happy. Whatever that may be, each person goes through different struggles to obtain what they want. According to Frederic Carpenter, the American dream “has never been defined exactly, and probably never can be. It is both too various and too vague” (3). The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse depicts the different interpretations on what the American dream actually is through the opinions and actions of Hector Esperanza, Efren Mendoza and Mrs. Calhoun.
Tulley, Stephen Richard. “Awakened to the Holy.” Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God! In
The American Dream provides Americans hope that if they work hard, they will eventually be successful, no matter how penniless the person. To understand the construction of this topic, there is a need to understand the circumstances involved. The Epic of America, The narrative in which the American Dream was constructed, was produced in the nineteen thirties. During this time, the Great Depression was at the height of destruction, and the new president Franklin D. Roosevelt created the “New Deal,” which inspired newly-found hope. In his Second Inaugural Address, he voiced his vision for the expanded role that the government would take in American's lives by stating, “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little” (Franklin D. Roosevelt). This began the facade of hope towards the impoverished folks attempting to achieve success. In reality the optimism and dedication given towards this dream is disproportional...
The Young Reader's Companion to American History. Ed. John A. Garraty. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. 384+. Print.
Taylor, Alan American Colonies: The Settling of North America, New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2001. pg. 1685-1730
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God , "The God that holds you over the
Many people know the Christian God as happy, forgiving, and accepting of others. In the Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards’ sermon completely shocks and scares people by claiming that the Christian God is the only God, and if you weren’t to believe in him, you would burn in Hell and be destroyed. The tone of this piece in the eyes of Edwards is dedicated, passionate, and pro-Christian God. Edward achieves his purpose by using metaphors, repetition, personification, and visual imagery numerously throughout the sermon.
People who work hard enough become successful and build a good life for themselves and their family. Millions of Americans and others who admire America have believed this for generations. However, is this still true? Brandon King debates his interpretation of the American Dream in his published work, “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” During his essay, the speaker highlights how important the American Dream is to the economy and providing a distance from inequality. The speaker emphasizes his belief that the American Dream is still alive within America and that people must work hard to achieve it. When discussing the American Dream, King will agree that the idea is alive and thriving in the minds of Americans; yet, I argue that the idea is on hold within American society due to lack of upward social independence and economic mobility.
Before 1931, the phrase “American Dream” did not exist (Churchwell 344) the way it does now. But in that year, James Truslow Adams wrote a book called The Epic of America, which declared that “the American dream of a better, richer, happier life for all of our citizens of every rank, which is the greatest contribution we have made to the thought and welfare of the world...Ever since we became an independent nation, each generation has seen an uprising of ordinary Americans to s...
Comparing the perspective of the American dream in the 1920’s to the American Dream in the 1940’s and present day seems to be a repeating cycle. The American dream is always evolving and changing. The American dream for present day is similar to the dream of the 1920’s. An Ideal of the American life is to conform to what our society has determined is success. Money, materialism and status had replaced the teachings of our founding fathers in the 1920’s. A return to family values and hard work found its way back into American’s lives in the 1940’s. The same pursuit of that indulgent lifestyle that was popular in the roaring twenty’s has returned today for most Americans, many Americans are living on credit and thinking that money and the accumulation of material items can solve all problems. Through film, literature, art and music, an idealized version of what it means to be an American has changed from money, materialism, and status of the 1920s to hard work and family values of the forties.
Cullen, Jim. The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation. New York: Oxford, 2003. Print.
Evensvold, Marty D. "The American Dream: Stories from the Heart of Our Nation." Library Journal Dec. 2001: 200. General OneFile. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.