The American Dream Essay

Ashley Lilleston

Honors English 11-1

Mrs. Thomas

10 May 2023

Dream On Throughout American history, many people have jumped on the bandwagon of the American Dream. Termed initially in 1920 by author James Truslow Adams, the American Dream represents a goal or hope that American people can achieve through hard work. Today, some people doubt the authenticity of the American Dream and wonder if such a thing can exist for everyone. However, the American Dream is still alive in every American because everyone has a dream or aspiration, even if it looks different than the infamous American Dream of getting rich. The American Dream has developed over the years with changes in the economy, education, freedoms, and immigration. Many people have developed

One thing that has caused these redefinitions is a change in education. Benjamin Franklin stated in 1749, “Nothing can more effectually contribute to the Cultivation and Improvement of a Country, the Wisdom, Riches, and Strength, Virtue and Piety, the Welfare and Happiness of a People, than a proper Education of youth” (qtd. in Hochschild and Scovronick 1). Just as Franklin thought, education has played a very important role in changing the country. In a study done by Riggio, “seeking higher education was especially important to a lot of participants and showed that hard work extended in other ways beyond manual labor” (10). Parents today push for their children to get a higher education, opening many doors for them. People have developed new dreams and ideals based on their higher education

Now, many are pursuing successful careers and thriving. In fact, “young women (age 19-34) are now more likely than young men (66 vs. 59 percent) to rate their careers as ‘very important’ or ‘one of the most important things’ in their lives” (Mortimer et al. 4). Because women have more rights and gender roles have changed, there has been an increase in aspirations and achievements for women. With a dare-to-dream mentality, women are going out to achieve their dreams like never before.

America has always been a dreamland for other countries. In Riggio’s study, an older-aged immigrant from Germany said “The American Dream is, first of all, freedom. Freedom from restrictions from the government…American freedom is the best thing. That’s why we all came here” (11). As people have immigrated to America, they have embarked on a journey to achieve their own American Dream. These people believe that they have opportunities in America and plan to capitalize on them. This can then be translated into an overall shift in the American Dream to include more people and