The American Dream continued -- BAV

The American Dream

FACT
The term the American Dream was first used by James Truslow Adams
in his book, The Epic of America (1931). He states: "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 a difficult dream for the European upper classes to
interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary
and mistrustful of it. 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." (p.214-215)

FACT
This notion lays at the heart of the U.S. and there are many rich
examples throughout our history: people left the big cities of the East
coast to search for gold in the West; immigrants came to the country in
the pursuit of happiness, liberty and their Dream; when veterans returned
from World War II, they yearned to settle down with a home, family and
a car; and Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of a dream when we would not
be judged on the color of our skin but the content of our characters.

FACT
You might argue that the American Dream is now a slightly different
concept, in which we dream about winning the lottery, becoming famous
or becoming a millionaire, rather than having moral or ethical goals.
Some families where the head of the household must work two jobs to
make ends meet might not be living the American Dream. On the other
hand, you might feel that the American Dream is about living a simpler,
more fulfilling life.