The American Dream Research Paper

The American Dream, although first mentioned in the nineteen thirties, has been around since the founding of America. The overall principles, as mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, are “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (US 1776). Over time, additional principles have been added to the ideology of the American Dream. One of these principles is equality for all, no matter the race, gender, ethnicity, or sexuality. These ideas are so widely pursued that others defy the laws to attain the opportunities that they bring. Recently, the American Dream has been seen as an idea of the past that is unachievable to the new generations. The pursuit of happiness is viewed as something that is too expensive to obtain, the liberties that

The individual’s life experiences are what help define their American Dream, so each dream is unique. The American Dream for Olaudah Equiano was freedom. Olaudah Equiano was an African American that was taken into slavery at a young age. After gaining his freedom, he “lectured widely on the abolition of slavery and urged a project to resettle poor blacks” (Equiano 688). His dream was influenced by his life of slavery and his aspiration to be free of the chains that slavery brought. Another author that had unique ideas as a part of his American Dream is Thomas Paine. He believed that freedom of religion was truly important to a human, but that it should not be involved in the American Government. His pamphlet, Common Sense, explained his beliefs of American Independence, therefore, describing the reasons why religion should not be involved in a governmental setting. Paine’s experiences with a religious government helped him further his argument that if a government official let his religious beliefs get involved with his work, then it might affect those that do not hold the same beliefs. This opinion related to the British Monarchy and how the British Monarch used his power over the Church to influence others to obey his set regulations (Paine

It considers the moods, attitudes, and conditions that pertained to a certain time period. In the Coquette, for example, the American Dream displayed that women are able to live without the financial stability that a job produced. A husband’s income was all that was needed to live in estates without the worry of becoming bankrupt. Another ideal that was revealed was freedom. Eliza Wharton, the main character, denied the offers of marriage and settling down into “modest freedom” that marriage produces (Foster 831). Another example would be the Letters written by John and Abigail Adams. In this literary work, the American Dream of independence, or freedom, from Great Britain was a major theme. However, the possibility of equality for women was also starting to become common around this time, which was reflected when Abigail wrote to John and asked for Congress not to forget about the rights of women. Although the country had not recognized women as an equal, John Adams had seen his wife as an equal, which was displayed through his trust in her to be the “manager of money, property, animals, and people” while he was away (Adams 626). Each example provided displays a woman’s perspective of the American Dream, but a man’s dream is not as different as one may think. William Bradford, writer of Of Plymouth Plantation, revealed that his American