America is unlike any other nation in the history of the world. When you think of those historic words written by Emma Lazarus that are on the Statue of Liberty, they summarize wonderfully the amazing history of this great nation.

Since the early 19th century, the United States has regarded and promoted itself as a beacon of liberty and prosperity achieved through a combination of the philosophical and ethical principles propounded by its founders and implemented in their most perfect form. In tandem with this is its natural wealth and bounty within the New World.

The meaning of the ‘American Dream’ has evolved over the course of American history. While historically traced to the New World mystique — the availability of land and the continuing American expansion—the ethos today simply indicates the ability, through participation in the resonant society and culture of the United States, to bring prosperity to oneself.

The American Dream Definition

The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States of America in which democratic ideals are perceived as a promise of prosperity for its people. In the American Dream, first expressed by James Truslow Adams in 1931, citizens of every rank feel that they can achieve a “better, richer, and happier life.” The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence which states that “all men are created equal” and that they are “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights”  including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The “American Dream” has been credited with helping to build a cohesive American experience but has also been blamed for overinflated expectations. The presence of the American Dream has not historically helped the majority of minority race and lower class American citizens to gain a greater degree of social equality and influence.  Instead, the American wealth structure has often been observed to sustain class differences in which well-positioned groups continue to be advantaged.

In common parlance, the term American Dream is often used as a synonym for home ownership since homes have historically been seen as status symbols separating the middle classes and the poor.  This usage, though, while common, is generally considered a very specific use of a more general term.

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

This is a nation of immigrants. It is a nation of people who came here from far away, fro something better. If you looked into the hearts of those brave immigrants, you probably could find as many diverse reasons for their coming as there are people who populate this great land. But there is and was one unifying desire in the heart of each of those immigrants that lives on in the hearts of all citizens of this country, they all held deeply in their hearts the American dream.

The American dream is so much more than “two cars in the driveway and a chicken in every pot.” That phrase, so simple and elegant, encapsulates a deeply held desire for greatness that make this country, and the people that are its citizens so unique in the world.

Part of the American dream has to be love of family. For so many, the struggle to get here was difficult and costly. Many worked for decades, maybe gave their lives in the struggle for that one dream they held dear. That dream was to make a better world for their children to live in. And that better world could only be dreamt of in America.

Another part of the American dream cannot be minimized in any way except to say it is a dream of greatness. America is a land where greatness is possible. It isn’t only possible to the privileged few. It isn’t only possible to the rich or to those in a closed society at the top of the economic pyramid. Greatness is possible for each and every American if they will work hard, not give up the dream and reach for that dream without giving up.

There is no question that a wonderful part of the American dream is to be part of this rich and diverse culture that is so unique in this country. From baseball to Broadway, from jazz to rock and roll, the American culture is the envy of the world. It is such a magnetic culture that much of it has been copied in other countries around the world. But nobody can be Americans like Americans can. And the dream of thousands, maybe even millions around the world is to be one of those privileged few that can call themselves Americans.

There is so much that makes up that unique American spirit that each immigrant and citizens strives for each and every day. It is a commitment to community that makes us a great nation of volunteers. It is a love of humor and fun that makes the arts and humanities in America so diverse and enjoyable. And it is the devotion to principles and to freedom that makes this nation one of deeply held convictions that are demonstrated each and every day in the lives of its citizens.

But of all the ingredients that makes the American dream so unique and precious to the soul of this country, it is that love of country that is in the blood of every citizen to cherish what is their inheritance in this great land. That love of country surfaces in many ways. It surfaces in a passionate debate about the future of the culture in Americas thriving system of government. It surfaces in the churches, synagogues and mosques in every state in this union as each citizen links their love of God to love of country. And it surfaces in sacrifice that our citizens and soldiers give each time they must give it all to keep this nation secure and free.

The American dream is not just a slogan. It is what makes America great. It is what has held this country together through incredible hardships and challenges for over two hundred years. And it is the American dream that will hold this country together for many centuries to come as long as its citizens commit to never turn their backs on a nation that will never turn its back on them.

In recent years, the concept of the American Dream as a national ideal has been studied by various organizations. The conclusions of these studies indicate that during the 1990s to the 2000s, an increasing number of people confess to having lost faith in the American Dream.

How does one achieve the American Dream?

The answer undoubtedly depends upon one’s definition of the Dream, and there are many from which to choose. John Winthrop envisioned a religious paradise in a “City upon a Hill.” Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of racial equality.  Both men yearned for what they perceived as perfection. Scholars have recognized widely varying conceptions of these quests for American excellence. One component of the American Dream seems, however, to be fairly consistent: the quest for money. Few will deny that Americans are intently focused on the “almighty dollar.” In a society dedicated to capitalism and the maxim that, “the one who dies with the most toys wins,” the ability to purchase a big house and a nice car separates those who are considered successful from those who are not. Yet the question remains, how does one achieve this success? How is the Dream realized? For many Americans the formula is one of instant, albeit elusive, gratification. Rather than adhering to a traditional work ethic, far too many Americans are pinning their hopes on what they perceive as “easy” money. This article focuses on three phenomena in contemporary American society that have successfully captured the quest for the American Dream. Savvy marketers have convinced their audiences that a new wave of television game shows, lottery luck, and lucrative lawsuits are the way to wealth.