The American Dream: An Idea That Shaped A Nation

Ever since the late 19th and 20th century many immigrants from Europe including Ireland, Germany, and Russia wanted to escape their own country in search for happier and more prosperous lives. They fled the rising taxes, social/political upheaval and the religious discrimination that pervaded parts of the continent at the time. Along the East Coast the immigrants could reinvent themselves by purchasing land to start their own business and family. They could be whoever they wanted to be. They wanted to be a part of the “American Dream.” Back then, the dream was simple and was thought that through hard work and determination, one could make a better life for themselves and their families. However, over time, this dream has changed as the nation

According to Jim Cullen, author of The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation, immigrants have always understood the idea of the American dream, even though they did not know what it was. They never spoke of it, but they lived it as people who imagined a destiny for themselves (Ellis, Guettler, 2009, May). It wasn’t until in 1931 when James Truslow Adams first publicly defined the American Dream as “The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement…it is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.” Adams' philosophy was significant because he conceived the term "American Dream" during the Great Depression, a time of economic recession following the stock crash of 1929. During the this time, as many as 13 to 15 million people were unemployed and almost half of all banks closed (The Great Depression, 2009). Adams was so impressed by the optimism of the American people that he decided to write a book called “The American Dream.” However, he was forced to change the title because publishers felt that it was too vague so he decided to call it “The Epic of America.” However, his new phrase “American Dream” stuck (Gillon, 2014). Adams believed, as many others did, that it was the American Dream that united Americans and helped them start anew when they encountered obstacles during this hard time