American Dream Essay
John Crevecoeur once described Americans as “countrymen, who, when convulsed by factions, afflicted by a variety of miseries and wants, restless and impatient, took refuge here,” (pg. 399). Crevecoeur characterizes the first settlers’ struggle and perseverance for the American Dream as it was brought about in America. This dream compelled Americans to escape their harsh reality and to look toward a hopeful future. The American Dream has been apparent since America was just an sentimentalized idea among yearning Europeans. As America progressed and opportunities emerged and issues arose, the American Dream became harder and harder to obtain. …show more content…
During the Colonial Period, the American Dream did not wholly become a reality for the Puritans, as they hoped to move to America and be free from the tyrannic rule of the British in order to practice religious freedom. In 1630, a small group of Separatists left from Leyden, Holland during the Puritan Diaspora to practice their own religion, which was not accepted in Europe. John Winthrop, a Puritan and governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, exhibits the Puritan’s aspirations in his piece A Modell of Christian Charity, which he read aboard Arabella on his way to the new world in 1630. In hopes to evoke the immigrants about his dream of creating an ideal community based on the puritans’ covenant with God, he says, “The Lord will be our God, and delight to dwell among us, as His own people, and will command a blessing upon us in all our ways, so that we shall see much more of His wisdom, power, goodness and truth, than formerly we have been acquainted with” (Winthrop pg. 254). In this quote, Winthrop paints a picture of his dream for the Puritans as they embark on a pilgrimage to the New World. …show more content…
The sense of freedom, which originated from the American Revolution, was influenced by the Great Awakening. This was a heightened enthusiasm in religious exploration, spanning from 1715 to roughly 1750. This open-minded thinking created new religious denominations deviating from the profoundly strict Protestant churches. Moreover, the Great Awakening was a reaction against organized religion and produced an attitude of questioning authority. This ultimately influenced Americans to come to a sense of conviction toward the British, inspiring the development of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence embodies this idea by explaining, “We hold these truths to be self, evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness…. We… declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent states, that they are Absolved from Allegiance to the British Crown…” This quote, written by Thomas Jefferson, displays America’s intentions moving forward and that Britain was not present in the future of the country. In a sense, the Declaration of Independence represented what the Americans thought the American Dream was at the time.