Who proposed the American Dream? What impact will it have on the United States? .

Who proposed the American Dream, an American historian. In the early 1930s, Adams put it forward. He was a historian. When the United States fell into the Great Depression from 1929 to 1933, he mentioned the American Dream in an article. The American Dream is in this country. Ordinary people can change their future through their own efforts. Later, this topic was caught by many Americans and they wrote a big article, citing Rockefeller, Ford, and many, many examples of people. , you see, this country can (develop), and ordinary people can grow up and succeed. This should be said to have encouraged generations of Americans. This is so important to us, and it also gave me an idea. I said Americans have the American Dream, but don’t the Chinese have the Chinese Dream? Of course there is the Chinese Dream, and the dream is always connected with the destiny of the country.

300 years ago, when English immigrants took the "Mayflower" across the Atlantic to Maryland, looking for a "pure land" where the Puritans could live, the "American Dream" had already begun. Quietly sprouting - the United States has given equal opportunities to everyone in the world. As long as they work hard, they can realize their dreams.

300 years later, this country has become a prosperous country. However, the "American Dream" has not disappeared, but with the changes of history, it has gained more "connotation".

What is the "American Dream"? "Many historians and sociologists have different views, and different Americans have different interpretations." Ron Mellor, a history professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, answered in an interview with a reporter from Global magazine.

But generally speaking, the "American Dream" contains several elements: The United States provides everyone with the opportunity to succeed; success depends on one's own talents and efforts, not family background and background; Have equal rights; everyone has freedom of belief. "These elements are inseparable from history and must be viewed in conjunction with the background of the times." Ron Mellor said.

The original dream of land and gold

In Europe from the 18th to the 19th century, the nobility had not withdrawn from the stage of history, the social hierarchy was strict, the distribution of wealth was unfair, and religious discrimination was serious... Montesquieu Pioneers of the Enlightenment such as Mao Zedong and Descartes began to praise the magical land of the United States, which also ignited the "American Dream" among disadvantaged groups.

The immigrants who came to the United States in the 18th century were all disadvantaged people in Europe. The most typical ones were the Puritans in England and the bankrupt small farmers in Germany. When they came to the United States, which was still a colony, the demand for political equality began. Extremely strong and spontaneous implementation of democracy. Therefore, "equal rights" became a connotation of the "American Dream".

Meller explained that "everyone can succeed" because in the early days of the United States, the land was vast and the population was sparse, and immigrants could obtain large areas of fertile land. At that time, the United States was still dominated by an agricultural economy. It goes without saying that "land means wealth and success." With the discovery of many gold mines in the western United States at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, some lucky people began to become rich overnight from gold mining. The legend of this "gold rush" promoted the wave of immigrants heading west and also provided the basis for the "American Dream". "Applied with a thick golden color.

However, behind such a "sweet dream" is also a bloody history: the large tracts of land owned by European immigrants were "terrain" obtained by massacring millions of Indians; high-yield farmland Most of the cultivators were black slaves plundered from Africa; the laborers who went west to dig for gold were Chinese hard laborers who worked hard with blood and tears.

It can be said that the early "American Dream" was more of the dream of European immigrants. Mailer pointed out that many people in contemporary American history circles are facing up to and reflecting on this period of history. This is the unjust side of the "American Dream."

A new example of hard work and wisdom

Before and after the Civil War, the United States began industrialization. More immigrants from Europe entered emerging industrial cities such as New York, Chicago, and Detroit. Since then, the "American Dream" has taken on new connotations.

During this period, many industrial and commercial tycoons emerged who struggled to get started. For example, Edison founded General Electric Company based on his personal inventions, Rockefeller who mined oil, Morgan who engaged in banking, and Ford who invented the automobile production line. Their common characteristic is that they started from humble beginnings, but through hard work they finally built their own huge businesses and became legends.

Perhaps, these "legends" are somewhat beautified by later generations. Even many of the so-called "Edison inventions" are the results of assistants. Mailer even believed that the United States was already in a period of rapid economic expansion at that time. Before World War I, the United States had become the most economically powerful country in the world, and its domestic economic operations were also in a stage of change from "disorder to order." , the emergence of wealthy oligarchs in various industries is what it should be.

In the information age of the 21st century, Microsoft's Bill Gates, Yahoo's Jerry Yang and the three founders of GOOGLE have become new idols of the "American Dream". Relying on their wisdom, they have accumulated tens of billions of dollars in assets at a young age. Their living stories seem to show that as long as you have intelligence and talent, you can succeed in America.

Faded and Soured Dreams

What is the real driving force behind the “American Dream”? Some historians believe that it was the desire and pursuit of wealth. Matthew Warshall, professor of history at Connecticut State University, pointed out: "The pursuit of money is an unchanging component of the 'American Dream'.

However, "it is precisely the excessive pursuit of wealth that makes The 'American Dream' is also changing, gradually losing its appeal to people around the world. "Warshall keenly observed the changes in American social atmosphere over the past few decades in his article "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - The Changing Concept of the "American Dream"".

If Early Americans also advocated "honesty and hard work" to get rich, but today they are more and more keen on seeking "get rich quick". For example, the most popular way for Americans to get rich now is to file compensation lawsuits with big companies and go to Las Vegas. Gambling or buying lottery tickets in Vegas, and participating in TV competition shows with prizes, shows that American society is gradually losing the motivation to work hard.

The early European immigrants who came to the United States believed in. Equality of political rights and equality of religion. Today, American politics has also evolved into a game of money. Warshaw does not deny this: the success of the Bush family in American politics is the success of oil money. The freedom advocated by the United States is limited to Christian sects, and Islam, which has little financial support, can only be in an extremely weak position in the United States.

Meiler also believes that in the changing times, " The American Dream may have less and less appeal to the world. The United States’ hegemonic position and arbitrary actions in world politics make many foreigners feel disgusted when the word “America” is mentioned; an anti-terrorism bill has blocked many The way for immigrants to enter the United States; economic speculation and bubbles make ordinary people always afraid of the sudden disappearance of their wealth.