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The Puritans Come to America
When the Puritans came to America their idea of the American dream was to escape religious persecution. In order to do this they men and women that came over were more than willing to work hard in order to make a better life for their family and for the next generation of people to live in the "New World." -
Emergence of the Middle Class
With the Industrial Revolution beginning a new class came into society. The emergence of the middle class changed the way the American dream was thought of. With the middle class coming out the world no longer consisted of the elite upper class and the poor lower class. It made the American dream become a dream that consisted of happiness, a family and the basic necessities and some extra luxuries. It made the American dream become one of need versus want. -
Declaration of Independence
The common man on equal footing
Human rights
Self-government
Rights of Man -
The Constitution was put into effect
The adoption of the Constitution into American governemnt made the American Dream become one of "Life, LIberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." This meant that any white male had the opportunity to be free of persecutions, not have a monarcy take full control and be happy no matter what. -
First Voting Day
The idea of Voting Day changed the course of history for ever. It made it possible for everyone to have the chance to vote the person that would lead their country to greatness. It gave all American the idea of a certain responsibility and ownership to their own country. It made people feel like they we America which became a major element of the American dream. -
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Immigration to the Americas
This was a time when over 30 million European Immigrants came to the Americas to find a better way of life. One that would allow them to be free and have the ability to provide for their families for years to come. They came here to escape things like religious persecution and famine. They came because it gave them chances that they did not have in the "Old World." -
Civil War
The Civil War caused stress between the North and the South because while the North was greatly industrialized, the South was still composed of mainly farms and depended on slaves to work. With the anti slavery beliefs expanding to the Western states, SOutherners began to worry that their economy would fail if they had to work without slaves. They depended on the slaves to grow crops and do work that earned the slave owners money. Without money they would not reach their American Dream. -
The Roaring Twenties
The roaring twenties represent a major change in the American Dream. This was the first time that credit was used to make different objects available to every person. This changed the fact that the American dream became something more than just a house and a job. It became the dream of being able to get whatever you want whenever you wanted because all each person had the opportunity to pay for it later. -
The Epic of America
The Epic of America described what everyone thought was the American Dream in 1931. What Adams came up with was that “the American dream is one of a better, richer, and happier life for all our citizens of any rank. “ This is exactly how people thought at this time. All the people wanted, their version of the American Dream, was to be happier, especially after the stock market crash of 1929. -
FDR's New Deal
The New Deal changed the way people thought about how people thought about starting a business. He made it possible through bank loans and other helpful programs to give people a chance to succeed in the Great Depression. He was the one who made any type of person able to own a home and do anything they set their mind to. -
Franklin Deleno Roosevelt Sworn into office
Implementing the New Deal
Better, RIcher, And Fuller Life
Citizen's Individually -
Credit Cards
While the idea of “buy now pay later” came in the 1970’s the idea of a credit cards was first introduced in 1958. This meant that the American dream became a more materialistic one because if a person didn’t have the money to get the one thing they wanted right now, then they could buy it on their credit card and pay for it later with their credit card. These credit cards made a huge difference in the economy and even made it possible for some people to start businesses and provide for others. -
Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech and Civil Rights Movement
The “I Have a Dream” speech that Martin Luther King Jr. gave made people the idea that the American dream involves everyone having the same civil rights and opportunities to everyone. After all that was what the American dream was supposed to represent and be about. This speech was during the civil rights movement. It was during a time that many black and other minorities began to demand their own rights in a country that was all about opportunity. -
Vietnam War Draft
The Vietnam War and the war draft changed the way the American dream was thought of. Because of the draft, many people went to college to get a deferment from having to go away to war when they had no choice. It made the American dream to get a better job and go to armed forces as a last result to provide for their families and future generations. -
Terrorist Attacks on Twin Towers
The Al Qaeda attacks on the Twin Towers in NYC in 2001 made the American dream drastically different. The American dream became one of defending their honor, their country, their families, and their freedom. It changed that day because it was a personal attack on our morals and ideals. The Americans felt threatened and that was a big reason why so many people enlisted and why the United States went to war against Iraq and Iran. -
Obama's Election
Obama’s election of President of the United States was something that reinvigorated the thought and excitement of the American dream. It gave people the renewed faith in the idea that if you are in America you can get anything, do anything and be anything that you want to be. -
Stock Market Collapse
When the share prices on the New York Stock Exchange collapsed on October 29, 2009 it affected almost everyone in the world. This crash made the world economy and all of its stockholders lose almost half of the money that they had invested in the stock market. While it did affect everyone, it hit the middle class the hardest of all. After everyone realized how bad this collapse was, many families went back to the emergence of the middle classes idea of need versus want because that was all that -
In Today's World
The idea of the American dream has drastically changed since 2009. This year it seems to be all about having to keep your job in spite of layoffs because you need the money. It is also about the fact that it is okay to have extreme personal debt just so you can get what you want because the American dream comes off of social status and to gain a higher social status means having to get that new car or the biggest house on the block. The American dream has become totally materialistic and unattai
