Pursuit Of Happiness And The American Dream example essay topic

Life, liberty and happiness are the famous words every American hears throughout their lifetime. These words are part of America's history written in the Declaration of Independence. America is the only country where the pursuit of happiness is actually guaranteed in writing. But the American Dream has become the American nightmare. People today are so busy dreaming about what they could be or have a right to be, they lose sight of what is really important. Seeking the dream has become a game.

Achieving the dream is not a goal, but a distant hope. Today it is the pursuit of happiness that overshadows everything. Life and liberty are taken for granted. Americans today are constantly reminded and told how to pursue the dream.

And more often than not, it is someone else's dream. The old-fashioned idea of a simple life with a decent house in a quiet neighborhood, with a steady job and a couple of healthy children is no longer enough. Today, both spouses must work so they can afford bigger houses, drive fancier cars, take better vacations and accumulate more things. Children come along later only if financial security is more certain.

Today's generation finds itself unable to duplicate or surpass their own parents " standard of living. In this analysis we will be discussing diffrent views on what the pursuit of happiness and the American dream are. The American Dream can be defined with many different aspects. It is unique to each individual, family, group, race and class. The Constitution of the United States and The Declaration of Independence say it all. Americans have the right to live in perfect union, domestically tranquil and without fear of war.

In addition to the right to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness". Since the discovery of the Americas, people from all over the world have come to the United States in search of a better way of life. America has the third largest population in the world. Today, any person who enters or lives in the United States is free. Free to speak their mind, practice any religion, become educated, to be secure in homes that they own. In America you can work hard at any occupation you choose and hopefully you will become rich.

For some it can mean a well paying job, while for others it can be the difference between life and death, and for all freedom. Freedom that we as American citizens take for granted. Americans define success as how much money you have. Everyone in America wants to achieve financial success in their life in one form or another.

Sometimes living in a capitalistic society entices many to become too materialistic. For most Americans, this high status is very difficult to achieve. Most Americans see the American dream as becoming rich young and having the opportunity and will to do what you please with your wealth. To many foreigners it is just to escape poverty and retain a better life. The reason behind closing this topic is because even though the American dream is different to all people it also always involves one common factor, the almighty dollar. Success is not how much money you have, or what you have, or even if you are happy with what you have.

Success is being happy with who you are. For many people social status and fame can be their dream. Many attempt to be something they are not. Struggling to be part of a higher class of people can lead to failure. A person's self confidence can be shattered in the process. There are people who were born in the United States who do not realize that our freedom and rights are wonderful privileges.

Privileges that has cost a lot of blood, sweat and tears from our immigrant ancestors who came to the United States from all areas of the world, chasing their American dream. The ideals of freedom and happiness that started this country are something that everyone wants. Our history has been a roadmap for that. From the time of the Revolution until recently, Americans found themselves better off in each generation.

Achieving the American dream dates back to the time when Christopher Columbus discovered America. Since then, there have been deals, agreements, treaties and even laws passed to reach the dream. During most of the 18th century, Great Britain ruled the area that was to become the United States. The colonial men wanted to be free and independent from British rule. They were tired of the injustices imposed upon them. On July 4th, 1776, representatives of the American Colonies wrote and ratified the Declaration of Independence.

This document ranks as one of the greatest documents in human history, as well as the first step taken by Americans to achieve the American dream. Independence Day is celebrated every July 4th to honor its great and meaningful background. The dream of religious freedom and economic independence was started when the fifty-six members of the Continental Congress signed their names for all the American people. From that point on men have strived to become rich (gold rush, bootlegging, stock market) and educated. Although the American Dream is considered to be the link that binds society, there are some individuals that do not posses the link. The African Americans have been struggling for many years to obtain the piece of the American Dream, their place in America.

By the middle of the 19th century, one issue stood out in opposition to the dream that all men were created equal, slavery. This issue was so hotly contested that the nation was divided into two. Only eighty-five years after achieving independence, the nation fought against itself to either abolish or uphold slavery. The dream for Negroes was to be free from slavery. To own land, marry and have a family living within the same home, to eat in public areas and use a public restroom.

To have the same rights as any White man. In 1865, they won the fight to be free but were still not considered equal. In 1870, Black Americans won the right to vote, but their fight to be equal was far from over. From then to the 1950's they then fought for desegregation, the right for proper schooling. They won equal rights in 1964. Today, there are still African-Americans that feel they are being oppressed and treated unequal.

Losing sight of the dream and what it meant, the four-year Civil War caused more casualties than all wars combined. When the war was finally over, America started on a period of great economic growth. As great wealth was accumulated by the cattle barons, the railroad companies and the industrial giants, most Americans did not succeed to anywhere near the same degree. American society was split into those with money and those without. The richest few achieved the dream of freedom, wealth and happiness, but left the vast majority in an almost hopeless state. For most, the hopes of reaching the American dream would remain just that, a dream.

During the 1920's, the American dream was based purely upon materialistic things. For women in the late 1800's to the early 1900's the dream was to have the right to vote and to be treated equal to men. In order to vote you had to be a landowner, which few women were. In addition, women were not considered to have the ability to reason as well as men, therefore they could not vote.

Eventually, women proved they could reason as well as men and won the right to vote in 1920. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was a long, hard and treacherous fight for the key members of the movement, but they worked hard and never gave up. As the 20th century rolled along, so did the economy for a chosen few. But that all came toppling down in October of 1929 with the stock market crash. Many of the richest people, banks, factories and stores lost millions of dollars and left Americans jobless. The crash started the Great Depression.

This was a worldwide business slump of the 1930's. The Depression ranked as the worst and longest period of high unemployment and business activity in modern times. The dream needed help as most Americans depended on the government and charity to provide them with food and jobs. Many of the relief programs not only helped in the short term, but also laid the groundwork for the economic revival to come. The last half of the 20th century saw economic development, a fall in unemployment and accumulation of wealth by many, rather than the few. But with this prosperity came a desire to gather even more wealth and riches and leads us to the problem with the American dream today.

The American Dream of having a comfortable debt free life has somehow deteriorated over the years. It used to be about working hard, having a good honest job, and being loyal to the occupation. Now those things are not as important to individuals in America today. What has happened to the "American Dream"? Why doesn't it continue being the same?

There are many reasons for these downfalls. One of the major problems is the economic inequality. The corporations have set their own standards. This began in the 70's when the power started shifting to the big corporations. They began to donate money, making their voice become politically heard. This earned them the title "Big Campaign Contributors", decreasing the average persons national voice (Domhoff, G. William, Who Rules America?

). But, that didn't suffice their greed. The Corporations then continued taking power by having political figures support them control over labor unions. As a result, rule changes began to be made and accepted.

That means that for the labor unions, their voice was beginning to be less heard. A good example is the health insurance companies blocking the reform for a non-profit universal health care system. The organization of taxes also contributed to the rule changes. There were big tax cuts for the corporations and wealthy, while tax raises for the hard working middle-class families. The model of two kids, a dog and a house in the suburbs may not be reachable for many Americans, but it can also be looked down upon by many that are pushed and driven to surpass it. What makes it sad is that while they are attempting to acquire even more wealth, status and power, they can lose sight of their marriage and their children.

You often read of highly successful businessmen who state that they deserve their success because they work fifteen to twenty hours a day, six or seven days a week. What time does that leave for anything else? The basis of this report, which is the pursuit of happiness, and mainly the American Dream, has always been present in the lives of all living things. America is the land of opportunity, the country that beckons to so many people, calling to them with the promise of freedom to live their lives as they see fit. As our National Anthem states, the United States is "the land of the free and the home of the brave". The motto of the United States, E Pluribus Unum, means "from many, one".

The United States has many different cultures coming together to form a unified whole. But the most important aspect of America is freedom. In a very general sense, America gives people the opportunity to live their lives the way they want to. In America, you can literally be anything you want to be.

It won't be handed to you, but with a little bit of hard work and effort, your dreams can come true. America is a place where you can voice your opinions without having to live in constant fear of being punished for your beliefs. You may not be completely accepted, but at least you have the chance to stand up for your beliefs. In America, you can truly be the person you want to be. In conclusion, The downfall of the American Dream has occurred for many reasons. Economic inequality, corporate deceive, and class difference are just a few.

We as people and part of American society must look in ourselves and not contribute to what these big corporations and political figures are taking part of in order to pick up the American dream and form a more perfect union. While not entirely perfect, America has a lot going for it. There is no other place in this world where you can find the same opportunities offered in America. America is truly "the land of the free and the home of the brave". America is the country where dreams can come true.

Will it still be good for Americans to dream, or will the nightmare overcome us? (Declaration of Independence) (National Anthem) (Constitution of The United States) (Domhoff, G. William, Who Rules America? ).