The Evolution of The American Dream
The raw idea that became America was founded on some very basic principles, commonly known to be life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A people, who for so long were oppressed by an incredibly invasive, and destructive monarchy finally said “enough”. The “American Dream” did not start being called the American Dream until 1931, the phrase was coined by an author named James Truslow Adams. However, the concept of the American Dream had been long in existence before it earned its name. From the colonialist era of literature, to the modernist era of literature, the so called “american dream” has evolved tremendously from being about basic human rights, to the dream of economic prosperity.
The …show more content…
The American neoclassical era can be considered the most important stage of this fantastic image, because it is what allowed for the revolution. Citizens had been terrorized by the unconventional laws formed by the British Parliament. Multitudes of people had their basic rights infringed upon with institutions of laws including but not limited to the quartering act, the stamp act, and the molasses act. Notably, Benjamin Franklin was a great influencer before, during, and after the American revolution; he was very much so a fan to the flames. Franklin’s “join or die” campaign and other works of his brought determination to the people, and caused them to further express their distaste for Britain. The Goal at this point was to take back their rights. Famous documents such as the Declaration of Independence, heavily influenced the …show more content…
Writing from this era was mostly about nature, and overcoming expectations. The transcendentalism era in particular brought back discussions of what a government's purpose is. Thoreau, in his ´ Civil Disobedience’ wrote about what the citizens role in government, and how it should be controlled by the population. This is when citizens were getting involved in politics and taking sides as the debate over whether or not slavery should stand as a part of American society bubbled. There was a major distrust in the government due to the financial panic of 1819 which could explain why Thoreau appears so unfond of government. In addition to philosophies on the function of the system, many transcendental writings, like the ones written by Emerson, put an emphasis on the importance of nature. As the early stages of industrialization began to take hold there was a notable digression in human contact. With change there are always people who don’t like it, whatever they’re reasons may be. At this point in time the American Dream was up in the air, mostly going about your business, simply existing in an “enlightened state” as Buddha may refer to it. Yes, Emerson’s work along with Thoreau’s works can be closely compared to the many lifestyle philosophies put forth by those practicing buddhism (crossovers in areas such as an appreciation of nature, small government, minimalism,
The raw idea that became America was founded on some very basic principles, commonly known to be life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A people, who for so long were oppressed by an incredibly invasive, and destructive monarchy finally said “enough”. The “American Dream” did not start being called the American Dream until 1931, the phrase was coined by an author named James Truslow Adams. However, the concept of the American Dream had been long in existence before it earned its name. From the colonialist era of literature, to the modernist era of literature, the so called “american dream” has evolved tremendously from being about basic human rights, to the dream of economic prosperity.
The …show more content…
The American neoclassical era can be considered the most important stage of this fantastic image, because it is what allowed for the revolution. Citizens had been terrorized by the unconventional laws formed by the British Parliament. Multitudes of people had their basic rights infringed upon with institutions of laws including but not limited to the quartering act, the stamp act, and the molasses act. Notably, Benjamin Franklin was a great influencer before, during, and after the American revolution; he was very much so a fan to the flames. Franklin’s “join or die” campaign and other works of his brought determination to the people, and caused them to further express their distaste for Britain. The Goal at this point was to take back their rights. Famous documents such as the Declaration of Independence, heavily influenced the …show more content…
Writing from this era was mostly about nature, and overcoming expectations. The transcendentalism era in particular brought back discussions of what a government's purpose is. Thoreau, in his ´ Civil Disobedience’ wrote about what the citizens role in government, and how it should be controlled by the population. This is when citizens were getting involved in politics and taking sides as the debate over whether or not slavery should stand as a part of American society bubbled. There was a major distrust in the government due to the financial panic of 1819 which could explain why Thoreau appears so unfond of government. In addition to philosophies on the function of the system, many transcendental writings, like the ones written by Emerson, put an emphasis on the importance of nature. As the early stages of industrialization began to take hold there was a notable digression in human contact. With change there are always people who don’t like it, whatever they’re reasons may be. At this point in time the American Dream was up in the air, mostly going about your business, simply existing in an “enlightened state” as Buddha may refer to it. Yes, Emerson’s work along with Thoreau’s works can be closely compared to the many lifestyle philosophies put forth by those practicing buddhism (crossovers in areas such as an appreciation of nature, small government, minimalism,