The American Dream

In the 1600s, some of the first people to arrive and settle in America belong to a religious group called the Protestants. The Protestants believe that, to please God, people should work hard and find a way to be successful. They teach that no-one should rely on anyone else to do their work for them. Every person is responsible for themselves. America lies before these settlers as the perfect place to live out the kind of life they believe in.

Back in Europe, those who are born rich enjoy a comfortable life, often living off the wealth of previous generations, while those who aren’t, cannot escape poverty, however hard they work. But in America, these social divisions don’t exist. As far as the settlers are concerned, there are no rich or poor here. This is a ‘new world’, they say, where anyone can succeed! In 1776, this idea makes its way into one of the most important documents in the founding of the United States: the Declaration of Independence.

It says: “all men are created equal” (in today’s language, we would say all people) and that each person has the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Fast forward to 1931, and these values are given a name. In his book The Epic of America, James Truslow Adams sums them up as The American Dream. Adams envisions America as a land where life is “better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” It is not only “a dream of motor cars and high wages”, Adams says, but of a society in which people are recognised by others for who they are, not who they were born to. The American Dream takes many forms over the course of the 1900s. Despite Adams’ insistence that the dream isn’t just about money or material possessions, many people come to see owning their own home as a symbol of success and freedom.

For others, obtaining a college education is a way to fulfil the Dream. Today, people disagree on whether the American Dream is realistic or whether it is… well, just a dream. Can all Americans really rise up to be whatever they want to be, regardless of where they come from? Studies show that, in reality, an American’s circumstances at birth — specifically, what their parents do for a living — is a huge factor in how far they will get in life. The United States has low intergenerational mobility.

Lower, in fact, than many European countries. And it’s not just parentage that affects opportunity. Native Americans, Black Americans, and others belonging to minority groups face housing discrimination and exclusion from higher-paying jobs — a result of systemic racism that has endured for hundreds of years. Women, too, continue to face barriers to education and many professions. They are consistently paid less than men.

And yet, the United States remains an attractive destination for newcomers searching for their own American Dream. The United States is home to more immigrants than any other country in the world. Though the American Dream has been changed, challenged, and criticised over the decades, to many, it continues to shape the national identity of the United States.