In the book “The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea That Shaped a Nation” by Jim Cullen, the concept of the American Dream is explored from many different views. These views explore what the American Dream is and the people who helped established it. In the book, Cullen talks about freedom in the American Dream, common American Dreams, and made me realize what my American Dream is.
One of the first things Cullen discusses in the book is the freedom within the American Dream. In the United States, we first got our freedom from the British in the Declaration of Independence. Our founders later stated our rights as citizens in the Constitution. In the Constitution is the preamble, which explains the general job of the government, and the Bill of Rights, ten basic rights that Americans have. With a bit of change over the years, these documents are what helped shaped this country into what it is today. Thanks to these
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The first common American Dream is upward mobility or economic and/or social advancement. One person who had and accomplished this dream was Abraham Lincoln. Not only did he advocate the ending of slavery but he stuck by the union in its process to become one, “sustaining the American Dream.” (Cullen 8) The second common American Dream is home ownership. There is a sense of comfort and pride in owning a home. Knowing that after a long day of work you can go to a place called home, a place that you have spent time and money making it your own. This is what makes home ownership so appealing and makes the suburban dream very appealing. The final common American Dream is personal fulfillment. Must compelling to the twenty-first century generation, there is a want for fame and fortune. People take these dreams to Hollywood. A place where believe they can achieve their dreams without obvious effort. Fulfilling a dream is not as easy as it looks; it takes hard work and