Thomas Jefferson's Dream Essays: Understanding The American Dream

The American Dream is an idea often discussed, but never explained. An idea at once both paramount to the American social identity, and as varied as the people in it. How is one to examine an idea that has never been put into simple words? One approach to understanding the American Dream is to look at how it has grown over time. The Dream, despite its ambiguity, has been discussed numerous times by many important and influential people. In order to understand the subject, one could simply look at its past. While the idea of The Dream is fairly new, the concept predates this nation. The three fundamental documents discussed are: The Declaration of Independence, by Thomas Jefferson, “I Have a Dream”, by Martin Luther King Jr., and lastly the recent address to congress by Pope Francis.

The Declaration of Independence, by Thomas Jefferson, written in Philadelphia, June 1776, was a declaration of war, and a base for human rights. In his declaration, Jefferson states that “All men are created equal”, that all men have “certain unalienable rights”, as well as having the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” While Jefferson’s dream undoubtedly set the scene for today’s dream, it was likely very diffrent than the dream of today. While today’s dream is more concerned with economic success, Jefferson’s lived in America that was mainly rolling hills, and grass. This dream has more to do with manifest destiny and never ending land than wealth. Jefferson’s dream may be diffrent than today’s, however it can not be denied that it is his hopes that sparked the flames of