"Americans' individual dreams...adjusted for the cycles of prosperity and depression, of war and peace, of political liberalism and conservatism. They modified themselves to suit the circumstances of the individuals who did the dreaming...(p. 384)." Identify and explain two examples from the book that support this statement.
One of the most iconic examples of the success of an individual American’s dream is Martin Luther King’s civil rights movement. As a black man in a society dominated by whites, King used his skills as an orator to rally thousands of supporters, black and white, to his cause: equality and brotherhood among people of all races. King’s movement followed the presidential term of John Kennedy (1960-1964), who advocated for civil rights but was pressured to abandon his efforts by the need to obtain the vote of Southern white conservatives. However, King was not deterred, and it appeared that his dreams would be realized with the election of President Johnson in 1964, whose domestic mission to create a “Great Society” promised abundance, liberty, and equal opportunity for all people. In the late 1960s, the focus of the civil rights movement shifted to a black empowerment movement, which emphasized strengthening the black community in opposition to the white community through violence. Meanwhile, the escalation of the war in Vietnam threatened to overwhelm the United States military, forcing Johnson to abandon his domestic dreams and focus on foreign affairs. Despite both of these pressures, Martin Luther King never gave up on his dreams of civil rights for all, and though other public figures modified or even gave up on their advocacy for racial equality when facing setbacks, King never did.
ReplyDeleteThe civil rights movement of the 1960s was not the only public movement that called for complete equality in America following WWII. The push for women’s rights and suffrage, which gained momentum after the war, also emphasized education and opportunity, this time for women. During the war, the role of women in society shifted to fill the increased demand for labor while the men were away fighting. When the men returned, however, some women were not willing to give up the taste of freedom and empowerment they had experienced, and so began the women’s suffrage movement. Led by Betty Friedan, who founded the National Organization for Women in 1966, women across the United States used public protest to gain federal attention for their cause. In an atmosphere of an increasingly liberal attitude towards race and gender separation, and facing both the women’s rights protests and the civil rights movement, in 1971 the House and Senate approved an equal rights amendment for women. Though ultimately blocked by the ensuing antifeminist backlash, the amendment recognized the changing society of the United States, and was a step towards acknowledging and putting into action American women’s dreams of equality.
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ReplyDeleteUp until the postwar era, women’s rights had been restricted, if not limited, almost all around the world. Unhappy with this inequality, women decided to fight for their rights. The “well-educated women chronically yearned for more than their domestic lives afforded them”(176) and collectively felt “no one understood their plight”(176). Their efforts began with Betty Freidan’s founding of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966, which gained widespread attention in the 1970s. Women participated in strikes, marches, and other activities in order to achieve “equal pay, equal respect, and equal rights”(177). Overtime, the struggle for equality made such an impact on society that Congress began to make changes. In 1971, Congress approved an amendment declaring “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex”(178). After twenty-two states signed on within the first year, ratification was deemed probable in the near future. The Roe decision, although controversial, was considered a breakthrough for female equality. Despite setbacks, the role of women in society dramatically increased with time, suiting their ambitions of achieving equality.
ReplyDeleteAmericans had claimed to be a classless country for generations before and after the war. The country fostered a “social egalitarianism that at one supported and was supported by the political egalitarianism of democracy”(79). There were in fact distinct classes, but the majority of the members regarded their positions as temporary, ranking somewhere in the middle class with room to grow. During the wartime era, the incomes of middle-class workers prospered as they worked in war production industries. In contrast, the rich suffered from wartime taxes, as their incomes were hit the hardest. This sense of equality is displayed not only through balances in incomes but also through social graces. Regardless of positions on the social hierarchy, every individual was treated with the same respect. Between the 1940s to the 1950s, “the share of national income claimed by the top ten percent of Americans hovered between 30 and 35 percent”(80). The Americans “dreams” of equality were evidently a reality.
An individual who achieved the American Dream of “charting his own path in life” is Martin Luther King. King advocated for equal rights for all races. African Americans were deprived of employment and housing which violate elements of the American Dream. Parts of the American Dream consist of being able to maintain a job and afford housing along with other necessities. King used public speeches and protests to gather African Americans and white people to fight for civil rights among all citizens. King wished to spread equality and stop discrimination by giving the same rights to both African Americans and white people. By King fighting for racial equality, allowed African Americans to live the American Dream. King faced many setbacks from people who said they would support his campaign (such as President Kennedy and President Johnson) but were pressured by southerners not to. King made having a job and a house for an African American not much of a dream anymore. King always fought for racial equality, which eventually, made the American Dream for African Americans become a reality.
ReplyDeleteBefore World War Two, women were expected to be loyal to their husband, care for the children, and maintain their household. Men worked in businesses, factories, farms, or enlisted in the army. While the men were at war, many women replaced them in factories and businesses. Women experienced a sense of freedom and responsibility of maintaining a job. When the men arrived home from war, many women did not want to stop working in factories or businesses, so, they started the National Organization for Women (NOW). Betty Friedan found the National Organization for Women and began fighting for equal rights among women concerning pay, the right to vote, and stopping discrimination between genders. As the National Organization for Women and other organizations began to spread, the government began to make changes within society. In 1971, Congress passed a new amendment that protected women’s rights. Through multiple organizations women began to achieve the American Dream of equality for all.
On both major and minor scales, the people of America adjusted their beliefs and actions based on the actions of others and the circumstances of the time. One example on a smaller scale is the leadership of Joseph McCarthy during the age of American anti-communism during the Cold War. Joseph McCarthy was able to gain the favor and following of Americans by making the drastic decision to announce a list of communists working in the State Department during a time when the idea of communism struck instant fear into almost all Americans. With his slanderous speeches, McCarthy played to the average American's fears and gained a following of Republicans do to his harsh accusations of the Democrats who questioned him. Although McCarthy proved to be a demagogue, his leadership qualities and understanding of how to play with the American psyche showed how Americans are eager to follow those who express the public’s distress and concern. Many accepted McCarthy as a leader because he stood up to the American fears and gave people (esp. the Republicans and Catholics at the time) a cause to support. It is in this way that Americans followed and bended to someone who did the dreaming for them.
ReplyDeleteOn a larger scale, the idea of detente at the end of the Cold War showed how people shifted their views during a thaw of hostility into peace. The first step of detente was the opening of China through a meeting between Henry Kissinger, Mao Zedong, and Zhou Enlai. This first movement towards the end of the Cold War was shocking to the Republicans, who condemned being “too soft” towards communists, and seen as progressive by the Democrats, who had favored a peaceful policy for years. However, any step away from war was comforting for the American citizens, leading to a general shift in favor of peace with communist nations. Since America had now made peace with both China and the Soviet Union, the Americans favored the policy of detente also because Nixon hoped it would lead to the gradual exit of Americans from Vietnam. However, after Carter continued the policy of detente into Iran and Nicaragua, it began to be disfavored by the American population. During this time, a group who called themselves neoconservatives spoke out against detente and accused Carter of making the world safe for dictators and communists. As the Soviet Union proved to be a dangerous and ambitious power, Carter eventually had to give in to the neoconservative feelings and take steps against the Soviet Union. Although the policy of detente was successful for a short period of time, the use of it showed that policies must change according to different circumstances and how all Americans, including the president, must bend to the conditions of the present.
One American’s individual dream was the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. He hoped that “all God’s children...will be able to join hands and sing... 'Free at last!’". He was a man that wanted to combine the dream of a people with the dream of an individual. After he gave his speech, many people began to believe in a segregation-free world. Still many people did not see the black empowerment movement as a important civil rights movement. For example, during Kennedy’s term as president, he wished to help this movement but he decided against pursuing his efforts to maintain the white southern vote. MLK did not give up just because he did not have the everyone’s support. He continued to fight for black rights until his assassination in 1968. His willpower showed when even after being arrested over 20 times, getting threatening phone calls, and receiving criticism from J. Edgar Hoover, MLK was able to overcome all of that and continue his movement unfazed.
ReplyDeleteWomen’s rights also came a long way. Before the beginning of the 20th century, women could only dream of gaining the right to vote. Once Susan B. Anthony and others came along, the women’s suffrage movement was born and women started to feel like they had a greater purpose in life. Even before WWII, women were still considered housewives and not much more. During the war, the role of women shifted and they began to work in factories in place of their husbands who were away at war. When the soldiers came back, the women did not want to go back to how life was before. They wanted to contribute to society, be educated, and feel like they belonged. For example, only one percent of the U.S. aircraft industry’s total workforce in the pre-war years was made up of women compared to the 65 percent of the total workforce being women during the war (History.com). Many people recognized this change in society and how women needed to have their voices heard.
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ReplyDeleteThe best example of an individual with a dream is Martin Luther King Jr. He grew up in a society dominated by whites that were not excepting of any other race. Martin Luther King wanted a non segregated society, and to achieve this he held speeches attended by thousands of people. His goal was for his kids to grow up and have the same rights as everyone else, even if it meant being physically and mentally abused by ignorant people who believed they were above everyone else. King had the support of John Kennedy, but Kennedy was persuaded to not support King's civil rights movement later in order to gain the support of the south. Beyond all of the negative things surrounding King's dream, he still pushed for what he thought was right in a time where few had the same mind set. King may changed the course of history, but he did not live to see his dream come true.
ReplyDeleteAnother example of individuals with a dream are women who grew up in the 1800s and early 1900s. Women gained the right to vote through the 19th Amendment which was passed on August 18th, 1920. Before this date, women did not have a say in the United States government. Even after they could vote, women were still seen as minorities. Before WWII, women were housewives and mothers, nothing more. After WWII, men started to see that women had the ability to work the same jobs as men because women took over mens jobs during the war. Since then, women as a whole have gained much respect from men and people all over the world. However, even today, women internationally are still fighting for equal pay and equality among their co-workers, a dream that has not completely come true.
ReplyDeleteAs has been articulated in most of this discussion, America has been dreaming since it’s inception. “It was encoded in the country’s DNA from the beginning” (384). The dreams of Americans must be looked at in historical context in order to fully understand their cyclic nature. It is important to evaluate both the political and economical climate to see how the factors influence individual’s dreams. The late fifties and early sixties was a time of economic prosperity and political liberalism. There was an emphasis on individualism and especially equality. Kennedy and then Johnson were trying to bring the standard of living up for all Americans with the continuation of public polices such as “The New Deal” and “The Great Society”. Probably the most famous dreamer in this time, or even in modern times, was Martin Luther King. His dream was one of equality for all people regardless of their race, creed, or color. Though he preached nonviolence his words inspired a younger African American group as a call to action. In the summer of 1965, after MLK was assassinated, violence took over the major cities. After years of fighting, his dream was realized in 1965 with the Civil RIghts act which gave African Americans the vote. To our generation voting equality may seem be an obvious civil right, however; to those who lived in that time the thoughts of racial equality, let alone the election of an African American President, like the one we have today, would have seemed utterly impossible. This type of equality is what our founding fathers had in mind when the proposed “liberty and justice for all”. Yet, the dreams of one courageous man made that reality. “The Voting Rights Act proved to be one of the most effective laws in American history” (130). This act revolutionized African American’s rights and power in the South. Such an enormous milestone could only be possible amidst the positive political and economic climate of that time.
The late 90’s was an excellent example of how an economic cycle can dictate the dreams of Americans. In this case, it was the prosperity of the time which polarized the country. It was a time of globalization where our economy was heavily impacted by the ease of global trade. Free trade meant Americans were competing with workers from other countries. This was a big shift form the industrial age where a large middle class had been employed and was able to make enough in wages to have a shot at the “American Dream”. The Loss of manufacturing jobs and the shift to service displaced many workers. The loss of jobs translated to a large social problem of wealth inequality. The rich got richer while the middle class started to evaporate. “The American dream had always allowed that some people may get richer than others. But the dream also insisted that the most talented and energetic of the less rich be able to join the more rich in time” (333). In other words prior to this time, hard work had been enough to allow anyone the opportunity for upward movement and economic security and prosperity. Though ironically, the country was running its first surplus and the dreams of average americans seemed less attainable.
It can be argued that one of the most influential presidents of the United States is Lyndon B. Johnson his ability to accomplish a task that nobody else could. Johnson was born in the southern state of Texas, which during this time was still under practice of the Jim Crow system. Under this system no southern president could be elected due to the Jim Crow system basis on segregation and inequality. A Southern candidate could never receive the majority vote due to the embarrassing contradiction of these ideals to the fundamental principle of equality that democracy is built on. This put the U.S. in a dilemma because the only way for the Jim Crow system to cease was for a southern president to convince the south to change. It had to be a southern president because people in the south refused to listen to any outsiders. Johnson believed that the segregation in Texas was wrong and needed to be changed, but he also knew that he couldn't promote his views unless he played into the hateful ideology of the white supremacy. Because of this system Johnson had to cultivate to the Ku Klux Klan in order to succeed politically and reach the national level. Johnson was successful in his politics and became the Senate Majority Leader making him the most powerful man on Capitol Hill. In 1960 John F. Kennedy offered Johnson the role as his vice president as a pro forma, to appease the South. Kennedy was certain Johnson would decline since Senate Majority Leader was a much more powerful position. However, Johnson did accept and when Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 he became president. He immediately began to help "make civil rights in America a reality." (121) Johnson had to modify his morals and beliefs by playing into the KKK in order to get to a position, as president where he could enforce his beliefs of civil rights onto others.
ReplyDeleteThroughout history women have been seen as weaker and inferior to men. During WWII men left their factory jobs in order to fight in the war. it was necessary for women replaced the men in their jobs. This proved that women were just as capable as men to work. Women also received the vote in 1920 and for the first time they had a say in American government. However for decades after this women were still not treated as equal. Well educated women such as Betty Friedan were convinced out of their doctorate because their husbands and boyfriends would convince them that graduate school "wasn't for women." (175) Friedan spent the 50's caring for her husband and children. Despite her education and abilities to achieve more she considered herself happy because she assumed every other educated women was happily living domestic lives. However, after conducting a survey to her graduating class at Smith College she discovered that "well-educated women chronically yearned for more than their domestic lives afforded them." (176) With this new information Friedan rose up to accommodate the new situation. She modified her beliefs from a personal level to a national one, becoming an advocate for women's rights, and in 1966 founding the National Organization for Women which organized a fight to "achieved equal pay, equal respect and equal rights" (177)
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ReplyDeleteThe American Dream is not a constant idea; it changes and adapts itself to the individual dreamers. Where these dreams are taking the population as a whole is never definite, and few can foresee the nature and scale of the consequences. One such dream was the idea behind the important movements for the civil rights on the basis of race and gender. The oppressed groups shared experiences of discrimination against them, and both, if separately, worked for bringing equity into the society. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the leader of the African American movement, all from the Montgomery bus boycott and to his most famous speech "I Have a Dream." He was the persona, the face of the dream that united his followers to fight for what is rightfully theirs. They demanded the rights to vote and the end of the segregation; "separate but equal" was not equal at all, and the people wanted better. The feminist groups have also started a fight of their own: more and more of well-educated women "chronically yearned for more than their domestic lives afforded them." (Brands, p. 176) On the contrary to the general view on the gender roles and circumstances, women grew to be more politically and economically aware, sexually assertive - in one word, independent. They were living up to the criteria of the true, freedom-seeking Americans and demanded to be treated as such. Even though both groups have won the most basic of their needs, the fight is still going on. A century ago not many could have thought that things could change so greatly, and there is clearly more to come in the future.
ReplyDeleteSome other dreams did not bring such good results. The American responsibility for the rest of the world after World War II was something many opposed, while others misused. Various policies to contain Communism and help democratic and capitalistic nations brought wars to the Third World countries. Be that South Asia, the Caribbean, or Middle East, American aid to their protégés was an important point in domestic elections and policies, international relationships, and the validity of the United States' position as the representative of the free world. America found its enemies as a result from interference in the civil conflicts of other countries. From being in a constant fear of a potential nuclear war to being afraid of highly aggressive terrorist groups who dared to bring the fight to the American land, the people of the United States questioned whether the dreamers among their government representatives were careful of what they wished for. Whenever the American troops stayed in the warring lands for longer than it was judged to be necessary, the presidents were criticized of acting outside of the democratic criteria. Whether it was the loss of nations to the Communist regime or the religious extremists' actions, Americans were lost in search for someone to hold accountable. Over time the dreams of freedom in the foreign lands humbled. They came with a higher price than expected, but that did not stop the U.S. from trying. They are dreaming still.
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ReplyDeleteAs many of my classmates have said already, Martin Luther King is one of the most influential and successful “American Dreamers” in our history. King’s leadership and efforts to end segregation in the United States illustrate exactly a line in the selected quote; “…They modified themselves to suit the circumstances of the individuals who did the dreaming…” (384). Before King, many had attempted to end of the plight of African-Americans, but with the reverend’s efforts it became a movement that swept the nation. The passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 shows how influential Martin Luther King’s orations and marches were in shaping the beliefs of the American people. With the election of President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, King’s movement began to resonate with the everyday (white) American, as it fit neatly into Johnson’s Great Society.
ReplyDeleteAnother oppressed group in society would rise in this time, following the trend of liberalism in society that broke minorities and women out of the binds of conservative tyranny. The women’s rights movement, or women’s suffrage, was a movement inspired by the forming of the National Organization for Women in 1966 by Betty Friedan. In the prewar era, women were restricted to the role of “loving housewife and doting mother.” While some women pursued other jobs like teaching or nursing, it was widely frowned upon for a woman to attempt and make her career her life. This rise in feminist organizations resulted in a wave of interest in equal rights for women in America - “The strike and similar activities rekindled interest in an equal rights amendment for women. Such an amendment had been on the congressional agenda since 1923…but not until the 1960’s did it gain anything close to the two thirds majority in each house required…” (177). The feminist movement continued to gain steam, although challenged by a misguided antifeminist backlash, led by men and women who resented the acceptance of sex and sexuality amongst women and misinterpreted the feminist message to prioritize careers over motherhood. And finally, with the Roe vs. Wade decision to give women access to safe, legal abortions, women became closer than ever to their dreams of equality.
Throughout the history of the United States, life for Americans has not stayed stagnant. With the ups and downs of the nation, the individual aspirations of citizens have adjusted themselves to adapt to the conditions at hand. During the demanding periods of war is where the cooperation among citizens is exhibited the clearest. When the U.S. faced the devastating terrorist attack of 9/11, the unwavering division between the goals of the Republicans and Democrats was broken. “Bush’s popularity soared in the wake of 9/11, to the highest level recorded for any president...even eight of ten Democrats endorsed his actions” (352). In the burdensome time of war the Republicans and Democrats found a way to adjust themselves for the better of the nation. When it came to using force against Saddam, “29 Democratic senators and 81 Democratic representatives backed the president” (358). The goal evolved to be: take down the terrorists that resided in the Middle East, and the dreams of individuals conformed to the imminent need. Yet the dreaming continued, it just advanced to support the condition of the time.
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther King is an individual whose dream accommodated the hopes of hundreds of thousands in the fight for liberty and equality. Kennedy, the president at the time, wanted a civil rights bill; therefore, the president was not the obstacle between King and his dream. The passing of the bill would be no easy feat, but Kennedy was occupied with international incidents that caused him to divert his attention away from King’s case. Martin Luther King held an individual dream that captured the ambitions of many people, which is proven by the numbers that came to support him, described by Brands where he says, “The crowd, packed close below where King stood on the steps of the memorial but stretching far back…” (114). The period called for change and King fought for it. His dream at no time was lost or forgotten. King pursued his dream when he got the chance; he had the people, the only support he needed. Every individual that was supporting King, had their own fantasy of liberty and equality, and King used the spirit of the masses to construct a path to his and everyone else's goal.
The so-called ‘baby boom’ modified the America dream due to individuals’ circumstances. “After World War II the combination of more time, more resources, and more kids created a child-based culture unlike anything previous in American history” (70). Children grew up under different circumstances than ever before, where they were allowed to enjoy childhood rather than immediately go to work, so their dreams were tinged “with a sense of entitlement” (70), which gave the American Dream a sense that anything was and should be possible.
ReplyDeleteAnother event which exemplified the American Dream’s flexibility was the space race of the 1960s. Prior to the Soviet launch of Sputnik, Americans thought little of going to the moon. But the national desire to outdo the U.S.S.R. (for reasons of both pride and defense) prompted Americans to have dreams of reaching space and later the moon. These dreams would not have been feasible under different circumstances, but because of the political climate of the era, the American Dream expanded to include the goal of reaching the moon.
President Lyndon B. Johnson, having been a school teacher for underprivileged African Americans before taking office, felt a strong belief during his presidency that besides improving the way blacks were treated, the concept of community among Americans had to be improved to be more beneficial for everyone, despite their background. In 1964, amid the campaign for the Civil Rights Act, Johnson was inspired to “lift the quality of American life and advance the condition of American culture” (123) through what he came up with as The Great Society. Centering on the concept of “abundance and liberty for all” (123), The Great Society emphasized the importance of not only strengthening the entire nation and emphasizing trade, but also focusing on maintaining the idea of a strong local community. Johnson proposed that within The Great Society, pollution would be ended, education would be improved, and every citizen would be allowed the opportunity to avoid poverty. After being reelected, Johnson was able to make steps towards making his dream a reality, passing new deals on health care including Medicare and Medicaid, and programs to advance the education system like Head Start, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Higher Education Act, and the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities. Although these acts would take years to be fully evaluated and many of them appeared controversial to people, during the period of economic growth in the 1960s, The Great Society appeared to Americans as something they could afford. Unfortunately though, as the war in Vietnam grew more intense and chaos broke out in the streets of America during the Summer of Violence, The Great Society no longer held the same importance it did before. During its short lifespan, The Great Society was still able to accomplish some elements of Johnson’s dream to improve the American lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteFor centuries, women have been classified as being subordinate to men in nearly all aspects of life. After WWII, the Women’s Rights Movement gained popularity among women everywhere who wanted equal opportunities as men, including suffrage, education and job opportunities. While many male soldiers were off fighting in Europe during WWII, women at the time were forced to make up for the demand for labor in America by producing wartime materials and other necessary goods. When the war ended though, many of the women who experienced these new opportunities were reluctant to let go of them so fast. The Women’s Suffrage Movement grew as a result of women wanting the rights they deserved, along with the new sense of authority and power they enjoyed so much but only shortly experienced. In 1966, the National Organization for Women was founded, and under the leadership of Betty Friedan, all over the United States women protested against the oppression they experienced based on their gender. The movement gained much public support and after experiencing an era of liberal-minded reforms about segregation, the pressure proved too much for Congress. In 1971, as a result of their determination, an equal rights amendment for women across the nation was signed. Although in the years following, women would continue to find roadblocks in their ultimate freedom and equality, the passing of so important an amendment expressed the constant changes in society the United States was experiencing. The circumstances were that of hate and conservatism, and through this time of oppression, the individuals who dreamt of being equal and having the same opportunities were able to achieve their goal through their persistence and their dedication.
Americans beliefs changed based on the situations they experienced as well as the evolution of the country. For example, prior to WWII women had the preset expectation to raise children, do the house chores, and let men have the careers. But, the war required a surplus of men, which left women to fill men’s professional positions. This was the first time that women were able to experience the workforce that they had previously been excluded from. This opportunity led to the changed belief that women could indeed hold professional positions, and the misconceptions of women’s inabilities began to drastically decrease. This progression was later reflected in the rights of women, as the government protected their rights while this phenomenon spread. Martin Luther King’s movement advocated for civil rights. Similarly, this changed and broadened American’s beliefs. By promoting peaceful protest, he was able to send messages to American’s in more ways than one. He had the ability to advocate for equality to a collective group of all races, persuading not only African Americans with his passionate words and gaining support from thousands of people with varying races. Later on after his “I have a dream” speech, the movement spread even further, and led to the government’s shifted focus to racial equality.
ReplyDeleteBefore World War II, women were expected to be homemakers and raise the children while the husbands were in the workforce. But because the majority of men were enlisted in the army during World War II, women were needed to make money for their families, and were needed to fill in the demand for labor. After the war ended, women began to demand for more rights after they got a taste of freedom and gender equality in the work force, and the women's suffrage movement began. This movement began after Betty Freidan founded the National Organization for Women in 1966, which raised attention on the subject of equal rights for women. After, the organization was founded, its members brought even more attention to women's rights by participating in strikes, marches, and other forms of protest across the country. As a result, Congress passed a new amendment in 1971 that protected women's rights, and the American Dream of equality for women was achieved.
ReplyDeleteOne example of how successful the American Dream is the civil rights movement that was led by Martin Luther King. During a period in America’s history when blacks were inferior to whites, King was able rally thousands across American, regardless of race, to support his cause: equality among citizens no matter what race or ethnicity. Though MLK had many supporters, he had many setbacks because many important leaders, such as President Kennedy and President Johnson, were pressured by conservative white men from the South not to support MLK’s causes. But MLK did not give up because he continued to dream of equality for African Americans, and after his assassination his dream became a reality.
Many dreams of individuals changed during the Cold War. The Cold War caused the public to focus on something that would otherwise have little meaning. Americans focused intensely on the Space Race going on between the United States and the Soviet Union. If the US had worked to get into space on its own, people’ interests would be piqued, but the fact that it was a race against the Soviets, America’s enemy in so many ways, brought an overload of excitement and publicity to the topic. It wasn’t just the government that was invested in the space program, it was the people, emotionally attached to whether or not the US would succeed. Getting America into space was no longer the dream of just NASA or the government, but the dream of many individuals across the country.
ReplyDeleteThe Cold War also changed the effects of little events, to make them affect the American people more deeply. Before the war, the taking down of a wall in Europe might not have been a big deal, but the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 made big news all over America because the people were invested. As Americans learned more about life in East Berlin under Soviet rule, they began to detest the Soviets even more than they had before, and felt for all of the innocent people held captive by the Wall in East Berlin. When the wall fell, not only those who were freed, but also people around the world, felt relief and joy. What had been a dream for so long - the end of the Cold War - was now reality, and made room for new dreams in the minds of Americans. During wartime the American Dream often focused on ending/winning the war, but in times of peace, the American Dream has the opportunity to expand its horizons.
The events of World War II pushed the American government to change its foreign policy in a major way: to abandon isolationism. Many Americans quickly identified Stalin as the next Hitler, and the Cold War was born, and with it, increased anti-communist attitudes. Communism was threatening to American’s way of life, and they feared that the freedoms they had worked so hard to attain would be taken from them. This fear was key in keeping up morale during the Cold War; with no actual fighting taking place, there had to be some threat in order to boost support. This threat was only exacerbated by figures like Joseph McCarthy. Not only this, but morale also “depended heavily on the belief that the United States held the moral high ground in the struggle with communism” (64), so there was also an increase in nationalism at this time.
ReplyDeleteThe atomic bomb, and other nuclear weapons, held the Soviet Union and the West at a standstill for over three decades during the Cold War. Without them, a “real war” might have broken out; instead, the atomic bomb was used to intimidate either side, because both knew the other held the ability to destroy them. Outcries against the nuclear program had existed since the bombing of Hiroshima, but only gained in traction after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Americans now had to wrestle with the guilt that came with using such extraordinary force - and the paranoia that came from being on the potential receiving end of it as well. Before weapons of mass destruction came into use, there was a general assumption that our military knew what they were doing. That if we were killing people, we were killing them for a reason. After the events of Hiroshima, and certainly after Vietnam, this viewpoint came into serious question - and American individuals had to try and find a way to feel secure and confident in their government’s intentions in light of this.
The events of World War II pushed the American government to change its foreign policy in a major way: to abandon isolationism. Many Americans quickly identified Stalin as the next Hitler, and the Cold War was born, and with it, increased anti-communist attitudes. Communism was threatening to American’s way of life, and they feared that the freedoms they had worked so hard to attain would be taken from them. This fear was key in keeping up morale during the Cold War; with no actual fighting taking place, there had to be some threat in order to boost support. This threat was only exacerbated by figures like Joseph McCarthy. Not only this, but morale also “depended heavily on the belief that the United States held the moral high ground in the struggle with communism” (64), so there was also an increase in nationalism at this time.
ReplyDeleteThe atomic bomb, and other nuclear weapons, held the Soviet Union and the West at a standstill for over three decades during the Cold War. Without them, a “real war” might have broken out; instead, the atomic bomb was used to intimidate either side, because both knew the other held the ability to destroy them. Outcries against the nuclear program had existed since the bombing of Hiroshima, but only gained in traction after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Americans now had to wrestle with the guilt that came with using such extraordinary force - and the paranoia that came from being on the potential receiving end of it as well. Before weapons of mass destruction came into use, there was a general assumption that our military knew what they were doing. That if we were killing people, we were killing them for a reason. After the events of Hiroshima, and certainly after Vietnam, this viewpoint came into serious question - and American individuals had to try and find a way to feel secure and confident in their government’s intentions in light of this.
As America changed according to both internal and external pressures, so did its occupants, along with their hopes and dreams. Americans dreams have slowly adapted to the current ideas throughout the history of our nation. Some adjustments in aspirations however were more dramatic and measurable then others. One such instance was the rise of the lifestyle of hippies. These people “embraced a lifestyle as far at odds with the prevailing middle class culture as they could make it … and they consumed drugs of all kinds at every opportunity” (146). This new way of living emerged during the 1960s due to the participants’ opposition to the “Establishment”, or the federal government. The hippie’s ideals were centered on peace and happiness, something that they supposedly felt was amiss in their present lives. With the war in Vietnam going badly and not benefiting the common American citizen in any way that they could see, it is easy to imagine why this “counterculture, as the phenomenon was also called” (147) caught on so quickly. Given the circumstances of the world in the late 1960s, Americans’ dreams were based on the continuous pressure of the Cold War, along with the many bloody spin-off wars it was responsible for such as Vietnam. In such a time, the need for the feeling of peace and security became the new premise for the American Dream.
ReplyDeleteThe American Dream has expanded over the previous centuries and decades to truly include all Americans. Whether with legislation or simply new attitudes toward neighbors, doors have been opened throughout the country to people of all colors, nationalities, and sexual orientations. Although the dreams of Martin Luther King Jr and the African American population is the most well-known, I believe that the acceptance of gays and lesbians is just as momentous. The fact that “‘Gay Power” joined “Black Power” on marchers’ signs” (254) shows that the protests of the two issues both changed the way that those individuals could dream about their futures and their children’s futures. The gay men and women in particular had previously been unable to dream of the perfect life for themselves because it was considered wrong by society to be themselves. As “gradually, over the 1970s and 1980s, the conventional thinking began to change” (254) people’s dreams began to adjust to this new option. With each newly accepted idea, American’s began to branch out and to stretch what had previously been thought to be the limits of the American Dream.
The novel American Dreams by H.W. Brands demonstrates how Americans’ individual dreams adjusted through certain circumstances such as the arrival of hippies. As Emma explained, hippies “embraced a life-style far at odds with the prevailing middle-class culture” (146). In other words, they wanted to be different and stand out in a “symbolic and exemplary sense” (146) rather than in a disrespectful sense. They peacefully wanted to be who they were during a time when, as Emma mentioned, Americans felt tense due to the ongoing pressure of the consequences from the Cold War. Hippies extended their sense of peace for anyone through events such as the “summer of love” (147). While this event struggled as people became agitated from overpriced drugs and there being too many people, it was really intended to bring up spirits in a new and exciting way. Hippies demonstrated the change in the American Dream to wanting and obtaining peace with new and original ideas.
DeleteWhile hippies wanted to bring peace by being different, government forces like Jimmy Carter used power in government to obtain peace in circumstances such as the Arab-Israeli conflict. Carter struggled to bring Menachem Begin, the Israeli prime minister, into a peace agreement with Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian president, after the violent history revolving around Israel. As Israel struggled to uphold itself while neighboring countries antagonized it, bloody outbreaks such as Six Day War and Yom Kippur War granted Israel victory. For this reason, Israel’s neighbors were even more displeased with Israel. As a result, Carter “brought Sadat and Begin to Camp David, the presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains” (202) to isolate the Middle Eastern leaders from their own tension to a place where they could possibly negotiate peace. While it proved difficult to develop peace between the two countries, Carter persisted to keep their discussions going and even offered American aid to Egypt and Israel if they could create peace. With his presidential power, Carter managed to join two arguing nations with peace through the Camp David Accord. Ultimately, the American Dream was changed in various ways to create peace. Hippies demonstrated the large scale trending style of being different while the Arab-Israeli conflict showed the potential for people to rely on peace through government power.
Many Americans will only dare to dream if they believe their dreams have a chance of coming true. As Martin Luther King Jr. and Lyndon B. Johnson pushed for their personal dreams of equal rights for all Americans, more and more of the American people realized that civil rights was an attainable dream. Johnson’s dream revolved around the “Great Society” (Brands 123), which involves “an end to poverty and racial injustice” (Brands 123). In order to reach his dream Johnson fought for, and succeeded in getting the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed. Johnson knew that once he got the Voting Rights Act passed people of color would have to step up and take advantage of the door he opened for them. Through this act Johnson had allowed the oppressed to dream of some notion of equality, and people of color seized this opportunity making the “Voting Rights Act...one of the most effective laws in American history” (Brands 130).
ReplyDeleteThere had been many equal rights protests for people of color, but none of them had changed any laws until the introduction of King onto the civil rights front. When King became actively involved in the Montgomery boycott many people of color were already fighting for their rights, but as time progressed and it became clear that they were beginning to push the nation to their cause, many more people of color joined the movement. By the time King made his famous I Have a Dream speech, the March on Washington had become the “largest civil rights demonstration in American history” (Brands 113). Johnson and King opened the doors for the civil rights movement, allowing America to dream of a future of equality.
During the 1950’s the middle class grew into a tangible collection that grew and flourished in the increasingly industrial economy. With the creation of Levittown by William Levitt, homeownership became feasible for most middle class families. With the rise of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler as industry titans, steady, lifelong jobs could be acquired in their factories from right out of high school. Thus, every morning thousands of a few basic models of cars would pull out of identical driveways to go to the few factories where everyone worked while back at home mothers watched the kids and kept the home tidy. A reporter wrote that, “in Levittown, all activity stops from 12 to 2 in the afternoon; that is nap time” (78). This uniformity caused many to wonder, “where was the charm, the interest value, in a society in which everyone was growing more alike” (81). The American dream for most middle class members turned into just being another member of the middle class and keeping their factory job until retirement rather than the more uncertain yet more exciting life of class mobility that their predecessors had lived in and they began to dislike it. This led America into the 1960’s, the age of hippies and civil rights movements.
ReplyDeleteAnother instance when the dreams of Americans changed directions again was when Reagan came into office. Upon his inauguration, “Reagan did indeed excoriate the Russians rhetorically, and he did order the biggest defense buildup in American history” (237). For one thing this put a great many unemployed and marginally employed people back into work for defense contractors in their factories. In addition it rejuvenated the spirit and tensions of the Cold War that had begun to wean in the years before. With a revitalized war effort and lowered unemployment rates, Americans turned their focus from domestic issues and personal problems to the war effort. Then with the signing of the INF pact and following that START (both agreements to limiting and lowering the numbers of nuclear weapons among the United States and the Soviet Union) these jobs and military contracts disappeared. Soon after, “the end of the Cold War deprived Americans of much of the sense of purpose and direction that had guided their country’s actions since 1945. As trying as the struggle against the Soviet Union had been, it had the singular advantage of focusing the attention of the American political system” (277). Despite the initial aimlessness of the postwar era, the Iraq-Iran conflict brought foreign affairs back into focus for most and allowed the American dream of being the defenders of liberalism to continue.
When the Cold War began, and a serious nuclear threat from Russia pervaded across the American society, people’s individual dreams were not the same as the dreams that they were in a peaceful time. Instead, the prevalent dream was the dream of “national security” (214), or security for their own family at a smaller level. In a time after America had stuck first with a nuclear bomb there was a constant fear that we had what was coming to us. The most legitimate threat towards us was the Soviet Union, which as time progressed grew the capabilities to threaten our national security with nuclear weapons. As a result, the general mindset shifted from providing for your family by working, to working by any means possible to protect your family. As a result Americans “look(ed) to Washington for help” (214) and expected their government to provide the security they demanded. Then as the Cold War ended, Americans shifted their view from the government back to “The private sector” (215) in a time of peace. This occurred because after the nuclear threat was gone, American’s felt the power was in their own hands to make their lives better, and it was no longer up to the government.
ReplyDeleteDuring any time, Americans base their dreams on what appears achievable based on the manor of the time. For example in times of prosperity, Americans set the ceiling of what they can accomplish high. During the Cold War, even though America seemed to be at war, Americans still believed their country was capable of extraordinary feats such as traveling to the moon. As a result, the bar was set high on what America could achieve and eventually the dream of landing on the moon became a reality. This led to greater advances in engineering such as the spaceship, and those advancements reflected the growing success of a nation. However, in times of depression, Americans placed a cap on what was achievable, and this too reflected the morale of the nation. During the Great Depression, with jobs being lost and income being low Americans believed there was no way to get out of this valley. As a result, people turned for help from the government, and expected the government to provide the repairs to their own financial issues. This resulted in a lack of dreaming because Americans expected things to be handed to them, rather than dreaming of making a better life for themselves. Every individual at a time has to adjust their own dreams to fit the reality around them. Throughout American history, reality has changed forcing people to change their individual dreams, yet people never stop dreaming.
The American’s Dreams are never constant, rather they change depending on circumstances occurring at the time. The American population doubled every 25 years in the nineteenth and early twentieth century; however, in the 1920s the growth leveled off. This is partly due to the 1924 National Origins Act which “capped immigration far below the numbers that had been arriving during previous decades” (68). But mostly the slowdown of the population was due to the Great Depression. The Great Depression caused millions of people to be out of work “and put their futures into doubt” (68). Without the necessary income to start a family, Americans had to postpone marriage and delay having babies, thus resulting in fewer births. American’s spent more time following their dreams of employment, allowing for less time to dream and act upon starting a family. The American Dream draws immigrants to come to America for its abundant economic opportunities. However, during the Great Depression opportunities were limited, making the dream of coming to America less desireable. The population increased again when the Great Depression and WWII were over. A “Baby Boom” began and lasted until the 1960’s because the war had left American’s with enough money to start a family.
ReplyDeleteAfter WWII, a push for women’s rights emerged. Equality for all genders gained momentum during the war. While the men were at war, women took up the jobs the men left behind. They worked in factories and businesses, allowing them to experience a sense of empowerment that they had never felt before. Woman proved to be just as capable as men, and did not want to return to their inferior positions when the men returned from war. Similarly to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a National Organization for Women (NOW) was founded in 1966 with the help of Betty Friedan. Although many women were well-educated, they were not putting their new found knowledge to use in their domestic lives. NOW gained attention with the Women’s Strike for Equality. This was “an effort to get American women to leave their kitchens and laundries for the streets and to stay there until they achieved equal pay, equal respect, and equal rights”. With the Women’s Right movement now in attention of Congress, equality was recognized among both sexes in 1971. This step would pave the way for the development of American women’s dreams of equality.
Ashley discusses the way the Great Depression impacted the American Dream in the homes of Americans. The impact of the Great Depression on the financial and familial dreams of Americans directly impacted the way the American people viewed foreign policy. Events such as WWI and the Great Depression resulted in an era of isolationism, where individual Americans believed it was in their best interest to remain focused on the domestic issues at hand, which included the mending of their economy via the principles of the New Deal proposed by Roosevelt. However, the times of prosperity that followed the Depression and WWII created a sense of confidence among Americans where, for example as Ashley said, women stood up to fight for their equality. This confidence directly followed into American foreign policy, as Americans now took the offensive, and had the confidence to stand up to communism and defend the rights of innocent people worldwide. During the Cold War, America, looking to defend democracy, aided multiple countries against invading communist regimes. Truman was the individual who took the offensive. He dreamed of a world without the threat of communism, and therefore took the American ideals of freedom and democracy to the world stage. For example, when the North Koreans invaded South Korea, "the Truman administration responded swiftly." (56) Truman saw the attack as "an 'open, clear, direct challenge' to world order and free government," (56) and ultimately waged war against the communist North Koreans. In short, the times of desperation during the Great Depression and the times of prosperity following the Depression and the war greatly impacted the foreign policy practiced by Americans and the dreams of Americans of how to preserve our peace domestically, and around the world.
DeleteAmericans have always had a dream that fit whatever current situation they were living in. Their dreams have “adjusted for the cycles,” (pg. 384) an example of this being, during the time of women’s rights, women adjusted their dreams towards achieving equality. Instead of being forced to conform to the typical ideals of the current day woman, women were going out into the world trying to make a place for themselves. Before the effort of equal rights for women was made after the time of WWII, women were forced to remain in their homes as the family caretaker.The job of a woman was to take care of the children, complete household chores, and support their husbands, making their lives easier. After Congress decided to make a change for women, and provide equality, their dream had been accomplished and a new American dream was developed for the coming decades. Another example of something in the novel that adjusted the cycle and perception of the American dream was the time of the Baby Boomers. During the time that the Baby Boomers were being raised, society had changed. After leaving a time in America of the Great Depression, people were finally able to provide and support a family. Americans had “modified themselves to suit the circumstances,” (pg. 384) their circumstance being a larger economy and ability to raise children in America. A dream was now created to provide a world that would prosper on for their Baby Boomers and the Baby Boomer’s children in the future. By creating a larger need for items and resources, this created an American dream of going out into the workforce and finding jobs, providing for their families, and creating a stronger more optimistic America. The Baby Boomers support the statement for the novel as they were a strong cause for change in American dreams. Before the Great Depression had come to its end, the current American dream was to get themselves out of their current predicament. After finding their way out of the Great Depression, Americans were able to direct their efforts to a new dream and a new goal, to support the newly created generation of Baby Boomers.
ReplyDeleteSince its birth in Plymouth, the "American Dream has been constantly changing and adapting in accordance to the conditions that those that were dreaming were living under. A perfect example of this is Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for equal rights for African-Americans. If there was ever a dreamer that we as a nation should look back on and admire it's him. MLK's dream was simple, he wanted people to be identified as people, not by race. Such a simple idea was not so easy to make a case with. Most people during this time period disagreed with MLK, making his dream of racial equality seem nearly impossible to achieve. But he kept working, and kept gaining followers, until he was killed. Unfortunately he never was able to see his dream become reality, but his messages were so strong that those that rallied around him carried the torch he held once he was gone.
ReplyDeleteAnother example of when the American Dream changed due to the circumstances that Americans were living under was during the Cold War. Communism was not something that America was in favor of, and the amount of power Stalin had was unsettling. Americans wanted the world to enjoy the freedom and prosperity that they were living in as a country. Those living under Soviet rule had much worse living conditions. Because of this tension between the Soviets and the USA, citizens were extremely interested in the space race against the USSR. Pride and nationalism were peaking, so the "American Dream" during this time was to assert dominance on all levels of the spectrum and show the world how great a country the USA is.
A prime example of the dreams of Americans adjusting to “the cycles of prosperity and depression, of war and peace, of political liberalism and conservatism,” (384) is the change in the way Americans dreamt after their success coming out of World War II. As I explained in the first guided question for American Dreams, during a period of depression in America before the second world war people’s dreams were restrained by the struggles they faced in the Great Depression economically, but after they found success for the first time in a long time after WWII their dreams were altered based on their triumph. People begun to dream of stable and simple lives because peace and contentment found in the years after WWII was something that had escaped them for the few decades prior to the war.
ReplyDeleteAnother example of this is the dreams of women after the second world war. In WWII, women found themselves in roles they had never experienced before, and in the decades following, women found an unfamiliar “sense of dissatisfaction” and “a yearning that women suffered in the middle of the twentieth century in the United States” (Betty Friedan, 175). Women had once experienced being in powerful roles in society when all the men had left to fight in the war, and they continued to long for that power again and again. The bravest of the feminists (feminists being all the unsatisfied housewives of America who asked, as Friedan did, “Is this all?”) questioned society to why they couldn’t resume the powerful roles they took during WWII and why it was wrong for a woman to break out of the conventional, redundant lifestyle every woman was supposed to assume. Their questioning developed into women’s organizations such as the National Organization of Women and movements such as the Women’s Strike for Equality. The power women got to hold in their own hands during WWII altered dreams throughout the rest of the century and led to women fighting for equality of the sexes, a battle that is still occurring today.
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ReplyDeleteAmericans have been dreaming since the birth of the country and the natures and levels of ambition of those dreams have always changed to fit the current state of the country. For example, in times of economic troubles like the Great Depression and the recession of the 2000’s, the ambition of Americans’ dreams adjusted to the hard times. Rather than dreaming of prosperity, people simply dreamed of stability and survival with a more modest lifestyle. Once the economic conditions improved, Americans readjusted their dreams to the improved circumstances, once again ambitiously dreaming of wealth, power, and happiness. During the Great Depression and the recession of the 2000’s, Americans followed this pattern, dreaming modestly in times of hardship and ambitiously in times of prosperity as the economy recovered.
ReplyDeleteAmericans’ individual dreams adjusted not only to fit the economic state of the country but also its social and political state. During times of war, people adjusted their dreams to confront the new issue that the country had to face. Many dreamed of benefiting from the war while others dreamed of peace. For example, during the Vietnam War, many Americans hoped the wartime production would bring about the same economic spur that World War Two did while others, especially towards the end of the war, hoped for an end to the Vietnam War and the Cold War as a whole. War also allowed women to become more ambitious with their dreams because of the new job opportunities given to them with men enlisting into the military. This allowed women to dream of success on their own rather than just being a wife. The conditions in the U.S. are constantly changing economically, socially, and politically and Americans have never failed to adjust their idea of the American Dream to suit the current circumstances.
Martin Luther King Jr., the quintessential “American dreamer” is an individual who changed the course of the future with his determination and dreams. With his dreaming, King was able to change how society viewed people of color. In a time where whites dominated the workforce, MLK Jr. a man of color, challenged the opinion of society. With his speeches, specially his “I Have a Dream” speech King dreamed for equality among all people. He wanted all people to have the opportunity to achieve the same American Dream. When King was dreaming for a equal rights most people around him were discriminating against what he believed in. But with his true leadership skills King was able to rally enough support that Americans began to see that equal rights could be attainable. Although facing many setbacks Martin Luther King Jr. kept fighting for what he believed in, and although he made so much progress he was never able to see his dream come true. After he died, MLK Jr’s messages were so powerful that the fight for equality continued until it was won. With King’s messages he was able to change how African-Americans viewed the “American dream” in the 1960’s to make it equal to what every American’s dream is now.
ReplyDeleteLike all American’s women are dreamers of the “American dream”. In history, all over the world, women have been viewed as inferior to men. Before WWII women were expected to tend to the house and men were expected to have a job. Women didn't work and had limited freedom in society. In the 1920’s, with the 19th amendment women were finally granted the right to vote. During WWII women began to integrate into the working force when they were need in jobs to make goods for the war. While most men went off and fought in the war America was left with only women and children to do the work needed. This sudden need for women to work set a change in the course for the future of all women. When the men returned from war and saw what women could do in the work force they began to see them as being capable of more than just being a housewife. Since then women have gained a sense of respect from men where they are now seen has being able to do things just as men can. Women have not stopped dreaming since the women's rights movement is an ever going movement that is still occurring in America and around the world today. With their dreaming, women in the early 1900’s were able to change the meaning of the “American dream” for a woman today to be equal to the dream of a man.
Martin Luther King dreamed of a future where everyone was created equal. He subjected himself to ridicule and possible harm when he peacefully protested for people of color to be allowed the same opportunities as whites. At first many people objected to his dream and wanted to continue the corrupt way, having everything segregated. Through a long struggle eventually this dream was met and now most Americans are disgusted by the fact that segregation ever existed between whites and people of color. Martin Luther King’s dream changed American’s willingness to truly follow the constitution where “all men are created equal” (113) regardless of the color of their skin. President Johnson felt the same need for racial equality and for the creation of an even greater task which he called “The Great Society” (123). He not only wanted racial equality, but a stronger education system and an end to poverty and pollution. Martin Luther King and Lyndon Johnson both helped gain blacks the right to vote, but the process towards total equality would take longer, eventually succeeding. Johnson's Great Society had to be deserted when he was faced with another crisis, Vietnam.
ReplyDeleteWith the Cold War crisis affecting the everyday lives of Americans, their dreams began to change towards competition between their nation and the Soviet Union. Competition accelerated the nuclear arms race and the space race, each country wanting to prove that they were the ultimate super power of the world. When Sputnik was released into space by the Soviet Union, the United States immediately felt the need to join the excitement and place a man on the moon. This competition shaped the American Dream towards a topic of space that would have otherwise been pushed aside by its citizens. When Neil Armstrong stepped onto the soft powdery surface of the moon, America could finally rejoice. They beat the Soviet Union to the moon. This path of competition in space led to new discovery and many more projects on Mars and other objects in space. The ability for Americans to walk on the moon made anything seem possible for the people of the United States adjusting their American dreams into larger and greater goals.
Amidst the nationwide dreaming, a handful of American thinkers inflicted alterations on the grounds of the American Dream. Astronaut, Neil Armstrong, did not fall short of making such an influence. Being the first man on the moon, Armstrong inspired Americans to allow themselves to think beyond their tiny spheres of familiarity; not only Americans, but humans of the world, were now able to venture into a celestial body of mystery and opportunity. Armstrong's legendary remark: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind"(166), captures the magnitude of his achievement and the effect that it would have on dreamers across the globe. President John F. Kennedy compared two figurative "roads" that men were now able to take. One road lead to defending American democracy in the war between "freedom and tyranny"(167). The other, less travelled, led to removing oneself from the calamities of the world and looking up into an abyss of obscurity. Kennedy acknowledged "the impact of this adventure on the minds of men everywhere"(167). Armstrong's first step on the moon commenced a new era for American dreamers; their horizons were broadened, and they were now able to pursue the unimaginable. Armstrong inspired the men and women of America to challenge themselves and to do something exceptional. The president answered critics of the movement by contesting that people chose to go on these adventures "not because they are easy, but because they are hard"(167). Neil Armstrong's dream to land on the moon reinvented the American Dream into a challenge for the minds of Americans. Before the landing, the dream mostly pertained to money, happiness and power; after the landing, Americans began to dream of accomplishing such daunting tasks that may have never seemed possible.
ReplyDeleteLyndon Johnson's Great Society was introduced to American citizens by the president in an effort to encourage people to seek a perfect America. Johnson's dream compromised the grounds of the American Dream; instead of solely pursuing the "rich society and the powerful society"(123), people began to seek a "Great Society"(123). This granted equality and opportunity to all. As a result, dreamers relinquished a fraction of their attention from creating better lives for themselves, and instead, made strides toward creating a better America for everyone. In this sense, the American Dream evolved into being less of a personal aspiration, and more of a nationwide effort.
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ReplyDeleteMost people dream without doing anything about it. Those who strive and work to achieve their dreams are the ones who end up making a difference in the world. Peoples dreams depend on the circumstances they are born or raised into whether it be their gender or the color of their skin. Martin Luther King Jr. used his powerful speeches to sway people into fighting with him for equality. He had the initial support of president John Kennedy but was let down when Kennedy chose the votes of the south over King’s cause. Nonetheless, King continued his fight with peaceful protests and eventually, he gained the support of president Lyndon B. Johnson. Johnson’s very first address before congress called for an immediate passage of civil rights legislation to commemorate Kennedy’s early dreams for equality. Johnson pushed through more civil rights legislations than any presidents before or after him. Eventually, Johnson had to abandon this dream because of threats to his military during the vietnam war. Though both Kennedy and Johnson had to give up their fight towards racial equality, Martin Luther King Jr. never did and it is because of his relentlessness that america has come to where it is today.
ReplyDeletePeoples dreams change based on the circumstances they are put into. For many women in the mid twentieth century, they dreamed of more. Most of them were raising their children and picking up after their husbands and they wondered if that was all. They had this desire to do more, to accomplish something, but society had told them that their place was in their homes, taking care of their families. For Betty Friedan, this wasn’t enough. She spoke for all the women out there who were too afraid to speak for themselves and helped organize NOW (the Nation Organization for Women). She felt that, in an age of movements, women needed their own equivalent of the NAACP. The NOW organization came across the eye of the public when it sponsored the Women’s Strike for equality where marchers walked down fifth avenue chanting and singing for women’s rights. This and other various activities sparked interest in an equal rights amendment for women and, eventually, women were working on their own towards dreams no one could have ever imagined for them. Betty Friedan’s, and other early feminists dreams for equality is what launched the American people into speaking up for the rights of women.
Of the most influential leaders in history there is Martin Luther King Jr. He was a major advocate for equality among the races, particularly equality for African Americans. Men and women of color were deprived the same rights as white people. Their basic rights, like simply maintaining a job didn’t exist at the time. They were robbed of the American dream. They were discriminated solely on the color of their skin. Martin Luther King fought to end this segregation and for their civil rights as citizens of America. He strongly believed that they deserved the same opportunities as whites. Although people despised his ideas, King constantly gathered peaceful protests and would give public speeches on the topic. He wished to gain more support in his race for equality among all people. The road to equality wasn’t easy; King faced many obstacles but pushed through. Although not in King’s lifetime, African Americans slowly gained the equality they much deserved.
ReplyDeleteAfter WWII, many women realized they weren’t being treated fairly. Women were always seen as being subordinate to men and wanted the equality they deserved. In the 1920s they were granted the right to vote. Although this was a huge step to equality, women still were looked upon as inferior. During the war, there was a need for workers since most men were at war, and women assumed this role. As the men returned home they noticed the women were capable of much more than they thought. This opened many dreams up to women. They didn’t have to only be a housewife; they could aspire to much greater things in the workforce. Women and women’s advocates worked to try and achieve equal respect and pay as men and is still a battle between genders today in the world.
During the Great Depression, unemployment rates were high, causing people to cut their individual spending. Before the Great Depression, part of the appeal in moving to America, was the great economic opportunity. But the Great Depression diminished this opportunity, making “would-be immigrants [stay] put” (69). It “seriously challenged the received version of the American dream: that men (mostly) and women who worked hard and saved for rainy days could expect a measure of material comfort and security… without resort to the government” (16), as they aged. In an effort to ameliorate the effects of the Depression, Franklin Roosevelt enacted programs to “[dispel] the despair the depression evoked” (16). These programs increased the role of the federal government in people’s lives by establishing Social Security, providing government housing, and passing the GI bill. The depression took away much of the financial security Americans had, making them turn to their government for help. Many Americans “greeted the new order with relief and gratitude” (17), and the American dream became more dependent on the federal government.
ReplyDeleteThe 1950s indicating a change in housing and scenery for many Americans. Prior to this time, American cities were a symbol of industrialization, innovation, and success. But, by the 1950s, many Americans, especially families, wanted to move to the suburbs. The influence of increased transportation, William Levitt, and his Levitt model, and government insurance of loans made the suburban dream a reality for many. The suburbs were “havens of rest from the workaday world” (78). They required people to “leave their neighborhoods for work, for serious shopping, or for an evening out” (78), which was only possible due to the surge in car production and sales. The Levitt home was constructed with astonishing efficiency and used “the same kind of standardization that had driven down the price of automobiles” (77). The new loans insured by the FDA “required the buyer to pay as little as 5 percent of the sale price in cash, with the rest spread over thirty years” (78). The start of private loans allowed Americans to realistically dream of buying a home. Suburban life became a reality for a growing number of middle class Americans because they now had a way of paying for their homes.
Americas dreamers are always adapting to the environment that they are surrounded by. Along with the environment comes the people controlling it. During WWII America was rushed into battle after the horrors of pearl harbor, the government quickly realized that if the U.S and the rest of the World were to stay intact the involvement of the United States military was needed. Abandoning the system of isolation the U.S moved into the war and so did its people. This is where the start of women's rights majorily began. Because most men had joined the military, many women were at home alone. The nation's workforce had diminished and many jobs had become available. Women began to take jobs that mostly men had worked before and found they were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves and their families. With the conclusion of the war and the return of a peaceful nation women realised that they were just as talented as men and many women like Susan B. Anthoney were left with ideas that encouraged women to further pursue the women's rights movement.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most influential fighters for equal rights was Martin Luther King Jr. King was the voice for equal rights among all races. Being African American King knew the struggles of being discriminated against in America. The average American dream at the time was almost impossible for those of a different color to achieve. King had witnessed the mistreatment of blacks his whole life and this inspired him to fight for equal rights. King's opposition of segregation led him to become a figurehead for civil rights. King had gained the support of Americans with speeches and encouragement and soon had the whole nation fighting for his dream. With the Voting rights act and the famous “I have a dream” speech King showed how powerful his dream was. “The largest civil rights demonstration in American history” (Brand 113), this quote proves how much the American people supported and took on King's dream making it a reality. Even after King’s passing his dream lives on and is still being fought for today.
ReplyDeleteWhile attempting to win the Southern vote, Lyndon B. Johnson temporarily suspended his American dream. To ensure the prosperity and peace of America, he modified his beliefs to share Southerner segregationist views. Inherently Johnson believed racial segregation was wrong, yet he needed to appeal to the South. As Brands explains in his C-SPAN book discussion video, Southerners would not listen to any Northerner. Johnson knew the only way to question and change the Jim Crow system was to become a Southern president and directly speak to Southern voters. In order to satisfy the South, President Kennedy offered Johnson the position of vice president, assuming he would decline. Johnson accepted and unexpectedly became president due to the assassination of Kennedy. During his presidency, he began making changes towards racial equality. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed, ending all Jim Crow laws. These bills banned racial discrimination; the Voting Rights Act banned requirements used in Southern states to disenfranchise black voters. Johnson states: “We believe that all men are created equal, yet many are denied equal treatment… We believe that all men are entitled to the blessings of liberty, yet millions are being deprived of those blessings⎼⎼not because of their own failures, but because of the color of their skin” (122). Johnson knew racial discrimination was morally wrong and dreamed of equality for all and by presenting himself as a Southerner, Johnson was able to gain their support.
While America strived to achieve racial equality, the struggle continued for women of all races. During WWII, women left their homes to work jobs men typically held. These “new opportunities signaled an important advance toward gender equality. Women showed they could work, and work well, where men alone had worked before” (13). Women no longer wanted to be told “their role was to seek fulfillment as wives and mothers” (176). In 1970, Betty Friedan led Women’s Strike for Equality, encouraging women to leave their homes and stay on the streets until achieving “equal pay, equal respect, and equal rights” (177). Before this movement took place, Friedan dropped out of graduate school by being convinced by a man that graduate school was not for women. As she grew older and raised a family, Friedan realized other well-educated women were in her position yearning “for more than their domestic lives afforded them” (176). Although many women including Betty Friedan believed women could hold positions in jobs and advance in education as men had, when women finally had the ability to work during WWII they realized they should be equal to men.
The American Dream is special to many individuals as they adapt to what is happening around them. For example, the postwar era may have brought wealth to America, but once all conflicts were resolved and Europe and Japan recovered, economic competition was high. In order to allow international countries to more easily trade with the US, the Bretton Woods system was created, increasing the value of the dollar. America’s Due to the increased competition, as the postwar era kept rolling and events such as Watergate came to a close, America’s economic prosperity decreased and the Bretton Woods system needed to be reevaluated. The United States ended up selling “more goods and services to other countries than they sold to the United States” (Brands 193). The end of the US dollar’s golden age began during this time when the amount of gold the US had access to significantly decreased. This in turn affected America’s economy and the people who lived within these systems. The US dollar was now just another currency among all others with “America’s industrial supremacy eroded.” (Brands 194) Overall, this forced Americans to adapt to their loss of economic supremacy and leadership.
ReplyDeleteAnother event that forced individuals to adapt and evolve with the American Dream was the Civil Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1950s and 60s. African American men, women, and children began their fight to make it possible for them to publicly dream the American Dream as equals. For example, “On August 11, 1965, Marquette Frye, an unemployed black man, was stopped while driving down one of the main streets of Watts, the largest black neighborhood in Los Angeles” for drunk driving (Brands 148). Although Frye was in fact drunk, he refused to be taken in, attracting the attention of fellow African Americans around him. While fighting to aid Frye, his African American supporters realized one of the real reasons why they were fighting: rampant unemployment. Riots filled the streets for the next few days as African American men and women fought for an egalitarian world. This opened up the American Dream to a new audience.
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ReplyDeleteOver time, our country has evolved through the hardships of many wars, economic advancement and decline, periods of political both stability and weakness, and more. As our country endeavors constant change, our hopes and dreams must change under the circumstances. President Johnson dreamed of creating the Great Society: “‘The Great Society rests on abundance and liberty for all.’” (123). Upon being elected president, Johnson knew it was the right time to make his dream a reality: “His advisers told him he could now accomplish whatever he wanted.” (125). With timing and majority on his side, Johnson began planning out the agenda that needed to be completed in order to achieve the Great Society. It all seemed possible during the economic prosperity of the 1960’s; however, “most of the Great Society programs were designed for the long haul and would take years or decades to evaluate fully” (127), and in these years and decades, the economy will prove unable to keep up with the large demands the Great Society requires, making Johnson’s dream harder to achieve. Not only will Johnson’s dream be challenged as economic prosperity begins to fail, the Great Society also struggles as peace turns to war. “Johnson simply wanted the rest of the planet to leave America alone so he could pursue his domestic vision of a Great Society.” (134), this became impossible when the war in Vietnam became Johnson’s problem, and he was forced to abandon his dream, the one thing he really loved, the Great Society.
ReplyDeleteThe cycle of war and peace not only affects individual’s dreams such as President Johnson, but also affects the dreams of large groups, like women, for example. Before WWII, women’s roles in society were limited to homelife and childcare because they were considered inferior to men. The war proved that women were just as capable, as they took the hard-laboring jobs of men while the soldiers were at war. The post-war period opened the eyes of women across the country, as they began to realize their capabilities. Women began to realize they had the right to dream, too, thus beginning a new era of women’s rights: “‘In the fifteen years after World War II, this mystique of feminine fulfillment became the cherished and self-perpetuating core of contemporary American culture.’” (176). With activists like Betty Friedan and organizations such as the National Organization for Women, women started to achieve something that, before the war, would never have even been dreamt of: gender equality.
Americans’ dreams adapt to the circumstances surrounding the time period. For example, Americans’ dreams differed drastically during the Great Depression than during a more prosperous time, such as after WWII. Living through a time of scarcity, poverty, and economic disaster, Americans during the Great Depression adjusted their dreams to fit their immediate needs. No longer could Americans dream under the reassuring faith in their country’s economy, as “The Great Depression had seriously challenged the received version of the American dream” (16). Hardworking citizens could not expect security in their financial state, even if they worked constantly. The high hopes of becoming successful, or raising hardworking kids to become successful, were reduced to mere dreams of surviving through another day and finding a job to keep their families alive.
ReplyDeleteContrastly, in flourishing times when the country reached new economic heights, Americans’ dreams rose with confidence and faith in their success. Coming out of WWII victorious, the United States ushered in a glorious period of prosperity. America stood tall over the great powers of the world, as “The United States emerged from the war stronger than it entered” (10). The economy boomed with wartime production; even after the war, America’s economy thrived with peacetime production. With less concern over their country’s defense, Americans could focus more toward their offense, in terms of trade and global relations. Since the American economy had exceeded all other countries’ economies, many Americans believed that “such internationalist staples as free trade could only redound to America’s benefit” (18). Thus, large trade agreements, beneficial allies, and a hardworking family’s financial success now were attainable dreams for Americans to have, as foreign policy shifted from isolationism to internationalism. In times of prosperity, the American dream expanded with the ensurance of Americans’ security to encourage the country’s global power.
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ReplyDeleteThe “American Dream” is constantly changing with new ideas that are being put into it everyday. A great example of this is occurring is with a man who simply had a dream, this man's name was Martin Luther King. His dream was to give African Americans equal rights and to not just be judged by their race or the color of their skin. He wanted everyone to view African Americans for who they are, people just like anyone on the face of this planet. However, this message was hard to get across. In the period in which this was being preached, many people were seen racist and did not care for what Martin Luther King had to say. However, this did not stop MLK, he continued to fight against discrimination in a peaceful way. MLK truly believed in his message and kept strong with it til the end, and that is why he was successful with it. Martin Luther King truly achieved his dream and he achieved the “American Dream” because he believed in his idea and worked through impossible times and he worked extremely hard to get his dream to come true.
ReplyDeleteA great example of another instance is the citizens of the U.S. living during the Cold War and during the Space Race. The rising communism in the world was not something that Americans were happy about and Stalin was gaining more and more power which became scarier by the minute during the Cold War. However, Americans just wanted to see the end of Stalin's power and Communism because they wanted people to experience the freedoms that they were experiencing. The Space Race caused the American Dream roar. The U.S and its citizens were truly in a “race” against the USSR to see who could be in space first. This was about pride and about nationalism for the U.S. causing the American Dream to soar because people were working harder to make sure that they could see the USA win the Space Race.
A primary example of "Americans' individual dreams...adjusted for the cycles of prosperity and depression, of war and peace, of political liberalism and conservatism” (384) is the Woman Civil Rights Movement. Throughout each decade, women have continued to battle for gender equality. Before the start of WWII, women fit the role of the housewife while their husbands provided for the household. However, these traditional roles were altered in the late thirties and early forties as men in America were called to serve their country, leaving a gap in the workforce. For the first time, women were sent to work in factories in order for the American economy to produce wartime necessities. Many women found themselves working for jobs they had not experienced before such as working in war industries, building ships and weaponry. Some women were even involved in other aspects of the war outside of the factories such as the Red Cross or serving in the military. These roles allowed women to gain respect from many men who thought their primary position was as a housewife or mother. This respect grew out of necessity. After WWII, women were able to obtain a powerful stance in society and lead civil right movements to spur the drive for gender equality. WWII had ultimately altered the American Dream for many women and created a battle of equality with men in society.
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther King Jr is another example of an inspiring individual who, following WWII in the 1960’s, had a dream that touched the heart of many Americans. King used his inspirational stories and powerful speeches to rally the nation in support of more civil rights for people of color. His famous quote, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” became a rallying cry for the civil right movements in the 1960s. This helped to promulgate a central ideal of racial equality throughout America in the late twentieth century. Unfortunately, this struggle still exists today. Part of the American Dream in the twenty years following WWII was to create equality amongst the races throughout the nation, and Martin Luther King Jr certainly helped raise awareness of this issue.
President Lyndon Johnson was a powerful individual who helped change Americans’ dreams by increasing African American rights and proposing the Great Society. This was largely because he “wanted to complete and perfect the New Deal” (120), which Roosevelt had started in 1933 . Johnson surprised the North and angered the South by supporting the end of the Jim Crow System, a series of segregation laws. He “pressed every influential group he could think of on civil rights” (121), and told the story of his African American cook who was discriminated against. Most important, he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. During President Johnson’s time, Americans’ individual dreams changed and adjusted for both whites and blacks; most whites realized they would be living in an integrated society in years to come, and blacks felt supported and acknowledged. Johnson called this improved way of life the “Great Society”, which would “curb pollution... end overdevelopment… and strengthen American education” (123). Although this society would turn out to be a disappointment due to lack of money and conflicts, this brief time period made Americans enthusiastic about the future, proud of their leader, and hopeful they could achieve the American dream.
ReplyDeleteDuring the 1960s, a new subculture called the Hippies emerged, who supported peace and free love instead of war. This group represented American’s right of free speech, and encouraged others to display their beliefs. Although known for their profuse use of drugs, there were “numerous speakers who praised peace and condemned war” (147). In San Francisco in 1967, the “summer of love” became a gathering consisting of music, eccentric clothing and anti- war guest speakers. When the government intervened for illegal drug use, the Hippies were “simply pushed further into their own world.” This transient movement encouraged Americans to accept and be interested in new cultures, and to speak out for their beliefs.
During both of the above-mentioned periods, Americans’ dreams adjusted to prosperity and peace, and citizens looked up to those who did the dreaming. These two signature moments, though relatively short-lived, reflected evolving American dreams through times of war and peace.
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ReplyDeletePresident Bill Clinton had a dream to allow homosexuals to serve in the United States military. "During the campaign [Clinton] had revealed a desire to apply the mores of the Baby Boom generation to military culture when he suggested that homosexuals ought to be allowed to serve in the military"(294) As with any new idea or change to the status quo, this proposition was met with harsh criticism. A staunch critic to this policy was Colin Powell. "[Clinton] reminded Powell-who was a black man and a career officer hardly needed reminding -that the arguments being made against gays in the military were strikingly similar to arguments that had been made against integration of African American into the services under Harry Truman"(295) Oliver North was also opposed to this change. He essentially said that allowing gays into the military would open the corp to be destroyed from the inside out. Yet, on the opposing view, Barry Goldwater said, "You don't need to be straight to fight and die for your country, you just need to shoot straight." (295) There was much debate over this issue, and although Clinton was unable to get the deal he wanted, he was able to strike a compromise. The "Don't ask, don't tell" policy was adopted, allowing closeted homosexuals into the military, but prohibiting openly gay Americans. Agreeing to a compromise that both liberals and conservatives could accept was a big step for America. Because of Clinton’s dream, homosexuals are now able to serve openly in the United States Armed Forces.
ReplyDeleteAnother dream that had its roots with Clinton is health care for all Americans "This health care system of ours is badly broken, and it is time to fix it."(297) "What the Clintons proposed was what Franklin Roosevelt had been tempted to include with the original Social Security bill, what Harry Truman had unsuccessfully urged Congress to enact, and what Lyndon Johnson had partially achieved with Medicare and Medicaid - guaranteed health care for all Americans." (297) Ultimately, the health care plan Clinton proposed never came to be. However, like any good dreamer he said, "we are going to keep up this fight and we will prevail."(299) These words rang true during the Obama years with the Affordable Healthcare Act.
Both these examples prove that dreams do take time.
During WWII, wartime taxes “took much of the income of the really rich,” and high industrial demand created jobs in war industries that “boosted incomes of wage workers.” (79) With the upper class losing money and the lower class gaining it, the spectrum of wealth in the US got smaller, which led to a new idea amongst the lower classes: egalitarianism. By the 1950s, after WWII changed the US economy, “factory workers” and “office workers” both earned enough money to live a “middle-class lifestyle,” which increased the number of people who considered themselves middle class (80). The lower classes began to feel as though they were closer to being equal to the wealthy, because they felt that they had taken a step up in society. Before WWII, the collective dream of the lower class was to try to save up for a lifestyle that they could not currently afford. After WWII, people began to actually spend the money they had saved, on things like newer cars, vacations, homes, and furniture. The individual dreams of Americans evolved during the time between WWII and the relative peace that directly followed, so that people who were not upper class began to actually fulfill their dreams as they could not do before.
ReplyDeleteAnother dream that changed between contrasting times was that of the immigrants coming into the US. During WWII, Mexican workers came to the US (through the “bracero program”) with economically focused dreams of finding better wages so that they could provide for their families. By 1965, the American government passed a new law that restricted immigrants to people “with skills needed by the American economy” and to people “with relatives already [living] in the United States.” (371) After this law was passed, increasing numbers of immigrants came from Vietnam and Cuba. These immigrants were not coming to the US with dreams of better jobs; instead, they were dreaming of political security and freedom. The Vietnamese were fleeing Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Cong, who had complete control of North Vietnam and were fighting to take the South. The Cubans were trying to escape the political persecution of Fidel Castro. The American dream changed for immigrants coming into the US as the people immigrating and dreaming changed. The dream was initially about economic prosperity, but as the laws concerning immigration changed, the people who were experiencing war or oppression in their native countries began to dream about America as refuge from political persecution.
Women’s rights have always been a topic of discussion is American History. Still fighting for gender equality today, women do not feel they are equal to men. From the beginning of history up until World War II, women have always been expected raise the children and take care of the house. During the war, women were called to perform jobs that normally only men would do. Because of the amount of men at war, women were needed in the workforce. This forever changed how women were viewed and what role they played in society. In 1966, Betty Freidan found the National Organization for Women and in 1970, it sponsored the Women’s Strike for Equality, “an effort to get American women to leave their kitchens and laundries for the streets and to stay there until they achieved equal pay, equal respect, and equal rights” (177). This brought national attention to the topic of gender equality. Over time, these strikes and marches slowly started to change the way women were viewed. Congress began making changes and the men became to have more respect for women. Through courageous and effective acts, women began to achieve what they had been dreaming for.
ReplyDeleteA prominent and very influential “American Dreamer” in our history is Martin Luther King Jr. Growing up in a society where being colored was not acceptable, King had a dream to change that. He strived for a society where color did not matter, one where everyone could be equal. With multiple speeches, such as the famous one, “I Have a Dream,” King was able to completely alter the way Americans view and believe what society should be like. Although King experienced many set-backs, with his will, he kept fighting for what he believed in and ultimately changed history forever. “They modified themselves to suit the circumstances of the individuals who did the dreaming…” (384). As King expressed himself and his views, the people began to alter or “modify” themselves in the way they view equality. Martin Luther King Jr. forever changed American History and gave everyone in society a chance to live the American Dream.
During the 1960's elections race was the main issue at hand. John F. Kennedy was a main candidate along with Lyndon B. Johnson. Johnson was from the South but against segregation, he saw all individuals as one race, and understood where the African Americans were coming from with their protests. Because of him the conflict over race was seen as a serious issue in the government. He was able to play to his advantages using the fact that he was from West Texas, "so he campaigned not as a Southerner but as a Westerner" (117) to be able to have a strong political opinion and get the votes he needed to be a candidate. His main goal was to get rid of the Jim Crow system, and help African Americans get proper education and equality. He was able to manipulate his American Dream to fit everyone's American Dream. The South wanted more Southern opinion on the Hill and he wanted to end segregation. When JFK was assassinated Johnson became president and could send his American Dream into action. In his first year as president he was able to get the Civil Rights Act passed through Congress and put into action. "The Civil Rights Act of 1964, mandated an end to Jim Crow in nearly all areas of public life..." (122) Johnson dreamed of racial equality and through patience and trust he succeeded. He along with thousands of other Americans' dream came true.
ReplyDeleteDreaming is one thing but acting upon your dreams is another. Women have dreamt since the early twentieth century for something more. "As she made the beds, shopped for groceries, matched slipcover material, ate peanut butter sandwiches with her children, chauffeured Cub Scouts and Brownies, lay beside her husband at night- she was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question-"is this all" (175). During World War II and a little after women began working men's jobs, since they were away fighting in the war. As time went on women began to go back to just taking care of the kids and the home. But as equality began to become a more serious topic women everywhere began to question their rights. In "1971 the House approved the amendment, which declared that "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex" (178). Feminists like Betty Friedan were overjoyed, but little did they know that today we would still be fighting for their American dream.
The women’s rights and civil rights movements were two of the most prominent examples of individuals dreams. Women were always told that they should grow up to be a housewife. Advocate Betty Friedan wrote “It was a strange stirring, a sense of dissatisfaction , a yearning that women suffered in the middle of the twentieth century in the United States” (175). As the dream of equality had been tested in other aspects, women found themselves questioning their equality. “Over and over women heard in voices of tradition and of Freudian sophistication that they could desire no greater destiny than to glory in their own femininity” (176). Friedan was moved to the front ranks of the movement after publishing her book, Feminine Mystique, and helping in the founding of the National Organization for Women. NOW brought attention to the issue and sponsored the Women’s Strike for Equality, which encouraged women to “leave their kitchens and laundries for the streets and to stay there until they achieved equal pay, equal respect, and equal rights”(177). The feminist movement continued to grow until congress finally approved an amendment to fix this issue in fall of 1971. This amendment declared that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex” (177-178).
ReplyDelete“A century had passed since Lincoln freed the slaves, and since the Fourteenth Amendment promised equality to the freedmen. “The time has come for this nation to fulfill its promise,” Kennedy said.” (112) Even though African Americans had been promised equality, they were not receiving it. With extreme segregation and discrimination, African Americans were fighting for change through marches, protests ,and boycotts. President Kennedy spoke out on this issue in a nationally televised address calling out for new civil rights legislation, “...If, in short, he cannot enjoy the full and free life which all of us want, then who among us would be content to have the color of his skin changed and stand in his place?”(112) In order to get Congress to act on this issue, Martin Luther King Jr gathered a crowd of over two hundred thousand people on the National Mall in Washington DC which became one of the largest civil rights demonstrations in history. After many performances and speeches, King took to the steps of the Lincoln memorial to deliver his famous I Have A Dream speech. Slowly through the government African Americans began to gain the freedom they deserved, showing how the individual dreams of the minorities, such as women and African Americans, can be achieved through determination and modification.
The American Dream evolved significantly throughout World War II. Yes, it has changed since then, and continues to change. However, World War II affected every aspect of the lives of Americans’ during that time, and is reflected in the post-war expectation of the American dream. Before the war took place, the men of the houses were usually the family members who provided for the family, and had jobs. However, when America entered the war, “[it] [pulled] millions out of the civilian labor force, even as it heightened demands on America’s farms, factories, and mine” (13). The new workers who took their place were women. Women, “...took jobs in shipyards and drydocks, on truck and airplane assembly lines, on road and bridge construction crews” (13). After the war, an individual woman’s dreams were greatly expanded through this experience. Such dreams now had a much broader set of life experiences a woman might reasonably aspire to.
ReplyDeleteThe war had a greater impact than just re-defining the American dream for woman. Coming out of the Depression with the new jobs created during the war, “...left most Americans with money burning holes in their pockets” (69). Because of this extra money, adults could afford to start and raise larger families, contributing to what is known as the “Baby Boom.” This, “...created a child-based culture” (70) in America which had never before been seen. The American dream always included aspirations for the next generation, however, in the baby boom era, the American dream increasing focused on the success of their children as a significant piece of the American dream
Americans’ dreams alter based on the time period the dreamer was in. For example, American dreams would differ greatly during the Great Depression from that of a better time in history. The Great Depression was a time of unemployment and economic downfall. Due to this, Americans’ dreams changed to fit their new (however otherwise unwanted) needs of the time. Americans could no longer dream under faith in their economy, but had to just dream of a better time in the future where the Depression would end. Dreams of becoming successful or contributing to the economy were replaced with dreams of finding work and pay to keep their lives livable.
ReplyDeleteAmericans’ individual dreams alter also towards its social and political state at the time. For instance, during wartime, people adjust their dreams toward the new issue, that being war. Some dreamed of benefiting from war, such as the period after WWII where America’s economy boomed and did indeed benefit from it. Others dreamed of peace, such as when people hoped for an end to the Vietnam War as well as the Cold War. War has also allowed women to dream more freely, with their dreams of new job opportunities due to a lack of men in the workforce. The conditions of the “American Dream” have been constantly changing over time and will continue to do so based on the current circumstances.
The rights of women had been limited up until the post war era, when women began demanding equality. One of the front runners for gender equality was Betty Friedan. As a Smith College educated woman looking to pursue graduate school, Friedan was discouraged by a young man she was dating, and was “convinced” that “graduate school wasn’t for women, and she dropped out” (175). After having a family, she considered herself happy but found that her fellow female college graduates “chronically yearned for more than their domestic lives afforded to them” (176), so she dedicated her time to the cause of gender equality. In 1966, Friedan “helped found the National Organization for Women, of which she served as president”(176-7) whose goal was to achieve “equal pay, equal respect, and equal rights”(177) for women in the United States. In fall of 1971, the equal rights amendment was approved by the House of Congress, declaring “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex”(177-8). The Senate was soon to follow in the following spring, “and the amendment was referred to the states”(178). Twenty-two states signed on within the first year, making ratification seem close ahead. On March 22, 1972 the equal right amendment was ratified. Betty Friedan and countless other brave women helped themselves and others begin to achieve “American Dream”.
ReplyDeleteThe “American Dream” was modified again by the “baby boom”. The children born between 1946 and 1964 were unlike any generation before. Instead of experiencing the hardships of life that their parents and grandparents remembered from a young age, baby boomers were more privileged because “the combination of more time, more resources, and more kids” conceived a “child based culture unlike anything previous in American history ”(70). The parents of the baby boomers “wanted their children to have what they had been compelled to do without”(70), which often included having a more active parent. In the thriving economy it was often possible for families to live off of one job holder's salary, typically the husbands, so the “wives could devote themselves to caring for the children”(70). The baby boomers grew up with a sense of entitlement; they had been allowed to appreciate their responsibility-free childhood, making their imaginations flourish. The big dreams the children of the baby boom had transferred to a shift in the “American Dream”; the idea that anything is possible.
Parents' priority was ensuring a better life for their children. With the soldiers returning from war, the familial matters took center stage. Babies were born at a rate this country had never seen, resulting in the “Baby Boom” era. From 1946 to 1964, seventy-six million babies were born, four times more than the twenty years prior to that time. Families wanted more space and single family homes, something city living could not offer so there was a sudden migration to the suburbs.
ReplyDeleteThriving automobile corporations located in Detroit, for example General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, were selling cars at affordable prices which enabled Americans to become more mobile.The mass production of cars and the rise in housing developments outside the city limits allowed for easier commutes to work from the suburbs. The GI bill, which provided funding for soldiers combined with low mortgage rates, gave families the ability to purchase these single-family homes. With the advent of the air conditioner, families were able to adjust in southern climates, enabling to areas like Florida, Texas and Georgia. Suburbia provided children with a myriad of extracurricular opportunities to get involved in, ranging from Little League to Boys and Girls Scouts to the YMCA. The post war enabled Americans to dream on a grander scale, which forever changed the course of this nation.
Charting one’s own path in life has a key element of the American Dream. America is a melting pot of strivers who wish for a better life—not just economic, but rights and freedoms that they don’t enjoy elsewhere. We can look to the course of history discussed in the book and how different coalitions of people came together to effect change. Be it Martin Luther King to fight for equal rights for his people which are now embraced as African American people, to the movement in the sixties for Women’s rights and the National Organization of Women (NOW) founded by Betty Friedan who focused on getting the right to vote for women and to end discrimination between gender. The right to have a voice is exactly what the founding fathers had envisioned when they proposed “liberty and justice for all”. Underlying all these movements has been the single thread of the American Dream – making sure the next generation has a better life (economic, rights, environment) than the generation before it.
ReplyDeletePresident Lyndon B. Johnson interpreted the American Dream in his own way, pursuing it for much of his presidency. Johnson’s idea of a “Great Society” had the same end goal as the standard Dream: to enable all, even the poor, to rise to a comfortable standard of living. In reality, his proposed implementation was far from the Randian philosophy implied by the term “American Dream”- much of his Society’s goals were socialistic in nature. These included Medicare, federal school budgets, and sponsored development of the arts. Considering that he followed three foreign policy-oriented presidents, it isn’t surprising that Johnson turned inward to the prosperous nation he governed. Without this prosperity, he would not have been able to even propose such an expensive, far-reaching plan.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, George Bush changed the American Dream itself due to the events of the time. Following the September 11th attacks, he declared the War on Terror, which would shape both American foreign policy and American thoughts for the foreseeable future. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, America’s international goals were largely limited to accomplishing the goals set forth by the U.N. Now, the security of the U.S. was in question again, by an enemy that could not be defeated simply. As such, global American military presence and Department of Defense budgets swelled. American citizens’ idea of where America stood in the world was changed: being the world’s foremost superpower, the U.S. was obligated to deal with the world’s ills, as they would inevitably hurt America as well. While not directly tied to the standard economic American Dream, the impact on Americans’ worldview certainly weakened the expectation that American hegemony alone would allow for pursuance of the Dream.
Successive presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan are two examples of Americans whose individual dreams reached fruition through tenacity, perseverance and a strong belief in the American Dream. It would seem unlikely that in their search for a president, the American public would choose a peanut farmer from Georgia or an aging former actor from California, both of whom were governors of their respective states. The liberal Jimmy Carter began running for president in 1974 as an outsider who “. . . hadn’t been anywhere near Washington during the years of Vietnam, Watergate, and other blunders . . .” (198). In a grassroots effort, the Georgia governor won the nomination by “. . .organizing early . . .” (199) and acquiring the necessary delegates needed to carry the convention before his Democratic rivals became aware of his candidacy. In his inaugural address, Carter asserted, “The American dream endures” (199). The conservative Ronald Reagan, with a vastly different philosophy and background, achieved national prominence after delivering a speech at the Republican Convention in 1964. Reagan ran for president and lost to Gerald Ford in 1976. In 1980 he led the Republican ticket and defeated Carter, becoming the oldest incoming president in American history. In 1981, Reagan stated, “. . . that together with God’s help we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us. And after all, why shouldn’t we believe that? We are Americans” (219). These two men, with vastly different backgrounds and philosophies, pursued the American Dream and ultimately achieved the title of highest elected office in this country, the President of the United States of America.
ReplyDeleteAshley’s contribution and opinions mirror that of my own after reading H.W. Brands tome, American Dreams. The dreams of American citizens are changing constantly in synchronicity with the circumstances and status of society. For example, the Great Depression took an enormous toll on the American Dream. Americans, who typically strived, and were programed for, a successful family and healthy marriage, could only yearn for a stable job during this time period; “The Great Depression, by throwing millions of people out of work and putting their futures in doubt, caused Americans to postpone marriage and delay starting families” (68). Even the immigrants no longer desired entrance into this once glorified nation; “The primary attraction of America had always been economic opportunity, which by the 1930s meant jobs - except that in the 1930s there weren’t many jobs. So many would-be immigrants stayed put” (68-69). This took a huge toll on the population and moral of the country. However, this imposing issue was later resolved after WWII when the citizens of the nation had enough money to actually start families due to the success of the war. This dramatic expansion in population was later named the “Baby Boom.” Although recovery was eventually attainable, the Great Depression is a prime example of how people adapt to the circumstances of their country and base their personal wants and desires upon the status of the nation.
ReplyDeleteDuring WWII, when the war effort required many more hands, women were welcomed to apply their services. This was unheard of. Women working? It was monumental! Since the men of the nation were off serving their country (which women were not permitted to do at the time), the women of the nation replaced their positions in factories in order to produce materials and weapons for the war effort. These newly working women used to spend their days at home, caring for their children, doing housework, adjusting their dreams to the circumstances of their society. They never had the option to want to work. They never had the ability to do as their husbands had done. However, now they could, and this was empowerment for a huge portion of the nation’s population.
As many of my fellow peers have mentioned, Martin Luther King Jr. was one of America's most admirable and significant dreamers. Martin Luther King was a man who had a dream, and he did absolutely everything he could have done to make that dream happen. MLK preached to Americans, hoping they would think anew about equality. He wanted people to realize the unfairness of their oppressive and segregated society, which he, as a black man, experienced first hand. He wanted people to realize the importance of the African-American Civil Rights Movement, but many were unable to see the necessity of change, and they were scared of it. However, cold shoulder was not going to get in the way of MLK’s dream, and was not going to prevent him from preaching it. Through powerful, personal, and compelling speeches, marches, and events, King began to open the eyes of stubborn Americans, who began to acknowledge the inhumane treatment of African Americans. He was able to reach out to individuals, who reached out to others. Martin Luther King was a true dreamer; he saw a future of an equal society, in which blacks and whites loved one another, and he was determined to make it happen, whether people were willing to accept it without hesitation or not. If it weren’t for MLK, the world may never have turned its back on segregation, and the United States of America would be a very different place. Martin Luther King was an “American Dreamer” who set his mind to equality, and did everything he could to achieve it. No matter what obstacles he faced, or how many people resisted his advocacy, he never gave up.
ReplyDeleteLike the African Americans, women’s rights were extremely limited, and nearly oppressive. Prior to the war, women were caretakers who rarely ventured outside their homes, but, in 1966, things changed when Betty Freidan founded the National Organization for Women. Much like the African-American Civil Rights Movement, speeches, marches, and events spread awareness of the unfair inequality of men and women. For years people were hesitant and resistant, but America came around. The women’s dreams and efforts paid off, and Congress acknowledged their right to equal treatment. Betty Freidan and thousands of women were dreamers, who were willing to say or do whatever they could, even risk their lives, for their cause, and eventually it was all worth it.
ReplyDeleteDreams have the ability to change and expand into something different compared to their original form. In American Dreams, Brands depicts how the dreams of one have the ability to affect the future of America. As many classmates have recognized, this is evident in the well known Martin Luther King Jr. who was arguably one of the most influential leaders in America on both political and social fronts. With a white dominating government, there were little opportunities for blacks to have a role in government affairs, let alone the racism that people of color faced (and still do to this day). However, King was able to rise above from all of the hatred and discrimination and peacefully protest the treatment of people of color in America. As more and more people became educated on the topic of racism, their idea of the American Dream changed, no longer clouded by ignorance. Instead, people began to see the American Dream as a hope for equality.
Another example of this change of dreams includes women’s role in shaping the government, economy, and the battle against social injustice. Following WWII, women had already largely contributed to the booming economy in the workforce, while simultaneously defying gender roles. Liberalism helped to shape women’s future and prove them to be equal in the eyes of men. Specifically, Betty Friedan and her book “the Feminine Mystique” got everyone talking about gender inequality and recognizing it as an injustice. With education comes knowledge, and therefore “well educated women chronically yearn for more than their domestic lives afforded them.” (176) The introduction of feminism furthered the American Dream by opening it to not only men, but women as well through liberalism and the period of peace that followed the war. As women joined the workforce during WWII, some people began to view them as equals worthy of a life other than the domestic. When changes in the individual american “dream” occur, the dream as a whole is modified to suit the needs of society.
One of the most famous dreamers in American history is Martin Luther King Jr. King is known universally for his “I Have a Dream” speech that he presented to over 200,000 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963. His civils rights movement made huge progress when he got support from John Kennedy. When he met with Martin Luther King he said “It is in the American tradition to stand up for one’s rights” (109). This really resonates with much of American history because Americans have grown up in a very democratic environment. From the start, the founding fathers wanted Americans to be independent from Great Britain. After seeing and being controlled by a monarchy, they knew that this was not the type of government that they wanted. King dreamed that America would be free of segregation and African Americans would have a better future.
ReplyDeleteBetty Friedan, another “American dreamer”, dreamed of equal rights for women in a country that had been run by men since the beginning. She helped establish the National Organization for Women in 1966 and served as president. The NOW supported the Women’s Strike for Equality which was “an effort to get American women to leave their kitchens and laundries for the streets and to stay their until they achieved equal pay, equal respect, and equal rights” (177). She won the support of several women and some men. Although change didn’t happen immediately, in late 1971 the House approved the amendment which declared that Americans should not be denied equal rights because of their sex. The support for women’s rights skyrocketed during these times, however there are still dreams for women’s equality in addition to people of color today. Equality for both groups demonstrated that the “American Dream” was driven towards individuals who had dreams and spread their dreams throughout the country.
Americans' dreams have changed both positively and negatively to fit the time. During The Great Depression, for example, the collective dream took a massive hit. As a result of the massive stock market crash, U.S. citizens whom were previously successful, or at the very least financially stable, plummeted into debt and poverty. Life goals that seemed just over the horizon had been ripped away from both individuals and families alike. Where a man may have once dreamed of founding a company, he now dreams of being financially stable again. In essence, the American Dream was scaled down to compensate for a time of hardship.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. managed to augment the dreams of many Americans, specifically those of color. MLK was himself a dreamer, as he very ironically stated. His passion for equality was so profound that he was able to cross the boundary of race and touch even those who had never so much as talked to a person of color. The dreams of this man, soon became the dream of every man and woman who had even the slightest trace of moral fiber. Through his powerful speeches and peaceful protest, he, with help from many like-minded individuals, was able to change the collective American dream for the better.
Americans' dreams have changed both positively and negatively to fit the time. During The Great Depression, for example, the collective dream took a massive hit. As a result of the massive stock market crash, U.S. citizens whom were previously successful, or at the very least financially stable, plummeted into debt and poverty. Life goals that seemed just over the horizon had been ripped away from both individuals and families alike. Where a man may have once dreamed of founding a company, he now dreams of being financially stable again. In essence, the American Dream was scaled down to compensate for a time of hardship.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. managed to augment the dreams of many Americans, specifically those of color. MLK was himself a dreamer, as he very ironically stated. His passion for equality was so profound that he was able to cross the boundary of race and touch even those who had never so much as talked to a person of color. The dreams of this man, soon became the dream of every man and woman who had even the slightest trace of moral fiber. Through his powerful speeches and peaceful protest, he, with help from many like-minded individuals, was able to change the collective American dream for the better.
One American that had a dream was Martin Luther King Jr. MLK had a dream of racial equality in America, stated in probably his most famous speech "I Have A Dream" speech. One of Martin Luther King's most favorable traits was his determination. I've never seen a man who was more determined for what he believed in. He believed that all of God's children should live equally amongst each other in society. Powerful speeches and marches we're just some of the few things he had in his arsenal but had the biggest impact. No matter what came MLK's way he was able to overcome any obstacle. Every antagonizer and enemy That crossed his path only pushed him to work harder. MLK was the voice of all the African American people. MLK was the voice of all the African American people. This dream of his propelled him to greatness as his hard work payed off and his passion and legacy paved way for African Americans to be granted equal rights. Who knows what society would be like today what it be racially equal , or segregated as the past? We owe are racially equal society today to Martin Luther King Jr.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to African-Americans women had few rights and were very limited. For centuries the role of women has been viewed as a caretaker who raises the children and looks after the household. The outbreak of World War II drastically change this as the men were shipped off to war and woman took up jobs in factories producing for the war effort. This boosted womens morale and gave them a sense of purpose and they demanded equal rights as men. The passion grew and grew and in 1966 Betty Freidan organized and founded the National Organization for Women. Her organization empowered women to fight for equal rights. similar to African-Americans they had powerful marches and speeches that proved their cause which began to change people's minds. Their cause took years as people were very hesitant but eventually due to the hard work of Betty and thousands of determined women who shared one dream, Congress finally recognized that women were equal to men.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a man that was always dreaming. He spoke about it in front of large crowds of people, not afraid to inform people about what he believes in and what he thinks is right for the country. Racial inequality was a huge problem back in the early 1900’s and is still happening today in our country and other parts of the world. King’s individual drive and determination helped pave the way for African Americans to soon become equal with white people. I bet almost every single African American living in the United States dreamed of fairness and equality, but none of them thought it was possible to make a difference. Martin Luther King thought otherwise and stepped up to the plate with a full heart and fair mind. Without Martin, our country could still be faced with the problem of racial discrimination. King’s dream of peace and equality is one that effected his era drastically and also one that has left a mark on America’s long and detailed timeline.
ReplyDeleteWomen, just like Martin Luther King Jr., craved to have equality. Women were not able to vote until the year of 1920. We are all human beings living on the same planet and we have to go through so much to find who and who should not be equal, it just does not make sense to me. Everyone, no matter what color or gender they are, should have established equal rights. If women did not have the drive and passion for equality like Martin Luther King did, our country would still be male dominant. But because of moving and powerful acts from Betty Freidan and crew, women were starting to become just as important as men. All women used to do in the past was raise children and keep the household up and running. Today on the other hand, Hilary Clinton is running for president. Women had a dream of equality just like Martin Luther King’s, and similar to his, it soon came true.
As Brands has said so eloquently, “Americans’ individual dreams...modified themselves to the circumstances of the individuals who did the dreaming.” A perfect example of this is World War Two and the actions President Truman took after, with the Truman Doctrine. During the war, we were in the mindset of shutting down Hitler and just fighting the war that we needed to fight for ourselves. After the war however, President Truman decided it was our time to take action and make sure we were helping not just ourselves but everyone. The American dream shifted from a strictly American Dream to a global dream where we took our place as a world leader and devoted ourselves as a country to helping other people, especially those under authoritarian rulers, who couldn’t stand up for themselves. Another prominent example of a shift in the American Dream was during the Great depression in the 1930s. The Great Depression directly followed the “roarin’ 20s” where people were living very extravagantly and had very high expectations for what the American Dream meant. Then with the stock market crash and one in four people unemployed, people had to lower their expectations drastically. The American Dream shifted from “how frivolously can you live” to “can you make it by.” What this shows is that the American Dream ebbs and flows to the situation and the people who are dreaming. The American Dream is a concept that is constantly evolving to the situation.
ReplyDeleteThe American dream for many Americans altered as the country was put into various situations. For example, during the Great Depression the dreams of Americans were the same. They wanted to focuses on their country alone. Americans were unified in the desire to come together as a country in order to pull themselves out of this depression and reboot the American economy. During a time of prosperity, such as the 60’s the country was at war and the American economy was thriving. The American Dream had changed; the people of the 60’s now dreamed about their own personal gain rather than the success and wellbeing of the country as a whole. During WWII the American Dream was focused on making sure that the Allies defeated the Axis powers, and that American troops would return home safely. Once WWII ended the American Dream took a more worldly stance, now that the fighting was over it gave the people of America the ability to worry about other places besides their home. Americans became concerned with the other countries of the world and keeping the peace between them, as long as they were countries with capitalist ideals.
ReplyDeletePerhaps no other individual took advantage of the changing American political outlook than Martin Luther King Jr. Although King started his rise to prominence during the terms of Eisenhower, a conservative, King spent his peak years as an orator and activist during the terms of Kennedy and Johnson, two progressive Democrats. King was highly active in protests during the 1950's with his involvement in the Birmingham bus boycott, but Americans were most open to his ideas and policies during the liberal dominated 1960's. Kennedy was the first presidents to listen to King's words and eventually take action to propose that new laws concerning equality must be into effect. King realized that he had the momentum to bring his message of racial equality to millions during this time, since it was put in the spotlight by John F. Kennedy. King told his fellow activists that "(They were) on a breakthrough" (Brands 112), and they needed "a mass protest" (Brands 112) to convey their message. He took action by organizing the march on Washington to show politicians the power of his message, and he was incredibly successful. The Voting Rights Act was passed a short two years after this protest in 1965 under President Lyndon B. Johnson, and even though King was not able to completely eradicate racism in the U.S., he did more than any man in American history to fight it. During this time, African Americans had mostly achieved their dream of equality between the races.
ReplyDeleteFor a short time, the American Dream was as alive and well as it had ever been during the years of 1989-1991. During the 1980's, the Soviet Union was becoming more open than ever before under the rule of Mikhail Gorbachev, and these years of political reforms culminated in November of 1989 in Berlin. Western people had demanded that the Berlin Wall should be torn down for decades, but "now the people of East Berlin and East Germany made the same demand" (Brands 273). When the Berlin Wall opened up on November 9, 1989, all Soviet credibility instantly disappeared. It was very clear that the people of Eastern Europe wanted an end to communist authoritative rule, and the USSR collapsed completely in 1991. With this, the Americans could breath a huge sigh of relief, as this meant no more cold war, no more space race, and no more arms race. During the early years of the 1990's the U.S. was once again the most powerful country in the world without contest, and American citizens were more confident than ever.
One example of a group modification to fit the circumstances of dreams are the Baby Boomers. The American Dream molded over time, becoming a middle-class haven where there was no shortage of goods and happy families prevailed. These Baby Boomers adjusted to their new economic conditions and adapted their dreams to fit. Therefore, The American Dream became one of a steady job, a safe home, and various material possessions because of the economy at the time. Without the growing economy, families could not thrive as they did, and the cultural shift towards entitlement would remain a fantasy.
ReplyDeleteWomen also adapted their dreams to America's growth. As women began to see a window for themselves when the men set off for war, a new possibility bloomed: the idea that women could do a man's work, and just as well. Seeing that open opportunity, women began to push for equality harder than ever, simply because they could. The times were changing, and women realized their own importance. Betty Friedan spread her ideas through writing, and with her influence and that of many other women, women lifted themselves to perform tasks that would have been scorned by men in years past. However, with the changing times and new conditions, inequality began to make less and less sense, and women felt that and pushed for their own equality, paving the way for other women in the years to come.
Conclusively, American dreams "modified themselves to suit the circumstances of the individuals who did the dreaming" (384) because as conditions change and develop, ideas follow suit.
The dreams of the Americans adjust to the eras they live in. Dreams of those living in 1930s and 2000s are different. People who lived during the Great Depression were dreaming of a stable economy, job opportunities, and they supported the idea of isolationism. Now Americans value global peace, individual freedom for everyone, and don’t mind the US to be an international policeman. In the 1930s, people were less concerned with terrorism and radical Islam but more worried about the well-being of their households. Perhaps that idea is better because fewer Americans would be dying fighting overseas. But with the rise of ISIS and communist dictatorship in North Korea, the US will be in great danger if it doesn’t get involved. Also, Americans adjust their dreams in times of the war. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the US had to get involved in the WWII. When the Israelites were attacked by Egypt, the US had to step in because Israel and the United States are close allies. During the WWII, people dreamed of defeating Japan and the Nazi Germany. When they finally knew about the Holocaust, they wanted to punish the SS for their crimes against humanity. Today, when the heads of the US citizens are being cut off by the radical Islamists, Americans want justice and the destruction of ISIS. In times of peace and war, American dream adjusts to the status quo, but it also modifies from generation to generation.
ReplyDeleteThe American Dream involves, among many other things, reaching goals and having personal success. Many American leaders have brought not only political promises, but personal goals, with them into office. With political situations constantly evolving and changing, leaders have had to modify these goals in order to put them into action. Two leaders in particular, Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter, both wanted to achieve peace in foreign relations. Despite being from two different political parties, both were able to modify their goals, in order to manifest their dreams in a way that allowed them to satisfy their respective parties while achieving their personal goals. Richard Nixon, a conservative, took office when the Cold War was a major concern in American foreign policy. He implemented the policy of détente, and worked to reduce tensions between America and the world’s two largest communist nations, China and the Soviet Union. Nixon’s most significant achievements were his visits to both Beijing and Moscow to reestablish diplomatic relations, and SALT I (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty), which limited the number of nuclear missiles that each nation could possess, and was a huge step in ending the arms race between the Soviet Union and the United States. Jimmy Carter, a liberal, took office when the Arab-Israeli conflict was at the forefront of American politics, in the aftermath of the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War. At the time, none of Israel’s Arab neighbors recognized its existence. Jimmy Carter, in what is arguably one of his greatest achievements during his tenure as president, hosted Egyptian president Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for peace talks. The peace talks were a success, and the two leaders signed the Camp David Accords, which eventually led Egypt to become the first Arab country to recognize the State of Israel.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading “American Dreams” by H.W. Brands, I noticed that Americans’ dreams and goals would change based on whether or not their country was at war. For example, during the cold war (1947-1991) the United States had a string of democratic presidents and people tended to be more focused on their international image and battling communism rather than civilian’s issues. In essence, since the very existence of the United States seemed to be uncertain during the cold war, people dreamed of a more peaceful world and therefore gravitated towards liberal presidents who would be more apt to fund the military and battle communism. In contrast, whenever the world experienced a time of peace, Americans would elect more conservative presidents to focus on their own nation and fix internal issues, such as finances and civilians rights. For example, during the peaceful presidency of Reagan people began dreaming more of their individual rights and began advocating for gay rights.
ReplyDeleteI also noticed that throughout the book certain people could influence Americans’ dreams. For example, Rev. Martin Luther King had such a potent dream that he was able to inspire others to share his dream. As Brands stated “the poor didn't expect to stay that way, and rather than resent the rich, they strove to emulate them” (79). Since many Americans had this ambition to be the richest and the best, people like Martin Luther King were able to permeate people’s ideas and motivate them to change their dreams so they can reach their full potential.
Ever since the Mayflower arrived American dreams change based on the current condition. MLK’s goal was that no matter the color of your skin all people should be treated equal. It shows the dream evolves to the circumstances. The main focus was now equal rights for everyone. That is an American dream that differs from the other dreams earlier by the public. The dream had been based on more international affairs before. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. brought the focus of the dream on the individuals and their rights denied based on the constitution. The dream had evolved to that time period’s public focus.
ReplyDeleteAnother example of the dream adjusting is the Cold War. The dream was to keep peace and stay out of a nuclear war. The cold war and civil rights movements are two entirely different issues. One is on a global scale while the other is on a national scale. Both are an American dream. This shows the Dream adapts to the certain scenarios the country is facing at that time. The public was focused on international problems at this point rather than the national problems with civil rights.
During the 1960s, the United States had major race relations issues that many dreamed of eliminating, including presidential candidate Lyndon B. Johnson. At the time, the Jim Crow system was still alive in the South, which put Lyndon Johnson at an incredible disadvantage being from the Southern state of Texas. The chances of a Southerner being elected into office were slim to none but this didn’t stop Johnson from doing all he could to gain support. During the 1964 presidential elections, Lyndon Johnson understood that the idea of desegregation was unpopular in the South, but made it his mission to win southern votes regardless. In order to reach a national level he had to appeal to the white supremacists in the south, so he was forced to conceal what he truly believed; that segregation was morally wrong. Because of his ability to adjust his views, he won support from the southerners which made it easy for him to win the election. Now that Johnson was finally in office, he had the perfect opportunity to achieve his dreams of ending segregation. During his presidency, “the House and Senate sent him the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which mandated an end to Jim Crow in nearly all areas of public life. . .” (122). Lyndon Johnson’s skillful manipulation had proved to be successful in achieving his, and much of the nation’s dream of a better, and more equal society.
ReplyDeleteAnother individual who was dedicated to fighting for Americans’ individual dreams was President Bill Clinton. He opposed the unequal treatment of homosexuals and fought for their right to serve in the military. At the time, many people did not support this idea. Clinton received harsh criticism as a result of his position on the controversial issue, especially from Colin Powell. Powell even “hinted that he might resign if the president overruled him on the gay issue” (295). Unfortunately Clinton was not able to completely achieve his goal, because Congress would have vetoed his order to allow homosexuals in the military, but he never abandoned his efforts towards achieving this dream. He had to modify his dream in order to fit the circumstances he was in, so Clinton created the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. This meant that “military recruiters and officers would not be allowed to inquire as to the sexual orientation of recruits and soldiers, but neither should homosexuals in the military announce their orientation” (296). He understood that this alternative was not perfect, but it was a step in the right direction.
In Brands’ novel, the American dream appears to shift depending on what is going on in the world that surrounds the dreamer. Before the 1960s many homosexuals wouldn’t have even consider dreaming of a time where they could reveal their true selves. This is because “for most of American history, homosexuality had been denied or outlawed or both” (253). But, as the country evolved and began to accept equality for every race and gender many began to dream of equality for every sexual orientation. For example, at New York City’s Stonewall Inn “the mayor and police would [periodically] make a show of cracking down on the gay life there” (253). But in June of 1969 the police raided the Inn soon causing a riot supported by thousands of gay women and men. The uproar “create[d] headlines, and forced the issue of gay rights into the public area” (254). When the media publicly noticed the fight for homosexual equality many gays became inspired. “One by one, then in larger numbers gay men and lesbian women came out of the closet.” (254) and voiced their dream.
ReplyDeleteThe American dreams adaptability also applies to the late 1950s when America was at a point of the post WWII economic success. The country’s “national income rose more than a third during the 1950s” (71) meaning citizens comfortably had more money in their pockets to spend. And, with big money came big dreams. Seeing that Americans had a demand for domestic goods William Levitt began to “apply the principals of the assembly line to home construction.” (77). Levitt understood that the middle class were ready to settle down with families due to flexibility in their bank accounts. He saw their dreams adapt to the country’s economic success and ambitiously “expected to complete construction on nearly six thousand new homes in the current year and many thousands more in the years to come” (77). Furthermore, Levitt simply adjusted his goals to capitalize on the American economy and the growth of the middle class.
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ReplyDeleteWomen’s role in history is a perfect example of how Americans will keep the dream alive even in difficult times. Women have historically dreamt for more rights and gender equality. During WWII, as the majority of the men went off to war, women were left with the responsibility of work, many working a wide range of jobs in factories, and as construction workers. This was an opportunity to work hard to not only support the war effort, but to show society that they too can work in a male dominated world. In 1970 a book by Betty Friedan called the Feminine Mystique which was originally published in 1963 sparked the Women’s Strike for Equality. This movement encouraged women to “leave their kitchens and laundries for the streets and to stay there until they achieved equal pay, equal respect, and equal rights.” (177) Great strides have been made toward this effort, yet women continue to pursue the freedoms they believe in including job equity and equal pay.
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther King Jr. was one of the most prominent dreamers at the time of the Civil Rights Movement. During a dark time when African Americans had limited freedoms, Martin Luther King Jr. inspired others to dream of better times and fight for their freedoms. MLK was able to influence many to stand up in a society where African Americans were faced with racial discrimination at every turn, yet standing up for their beliefs came with repercussions. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech motivated other African-Americans to take action and combat unjust laws such as the Jim Crow laws. MLK had a goal, a march in the capitol that would be so large and so loud, that Congress would be forced to create new laws that gave African-Americans the same opportunities and rights and freedoms as any other person. King was able to gather over one hundred thousand people to march “before the great shrines of American democracy; in the face of such pressure, Congress would have to act.” (112) Different races and people of different backgrounds all gathered to fulfill Martin Luther King’s dream in our nation’s capitol to fight for their freedom’s in a time where racism was an extrusive part of our society.
Two of the most iconic moments associated with the "American Dream" which resulted from post WWII changes in America are the fights for racial and gender equality. Martin Luther King Jr's "American dream" was to have his children "one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.", as shown in his "I had a dream" speech. When authorities, individuals, and groups all resorted to stop MLK's dream, MLK resorted to the circumstances. He stood his ground, and led one of the most influential movements to affect America. Thanks to Martin Luther King Junior and those he influenced, America has become continues to become more racially tolerant.
ReplyDeleteA second example of an individual/group that had an "American Dream" and modified themselves to suit their dream is the woman's rights movement. During WWII, gender roles started to shift as more women joined the workforce while their male counterparts were away fighting. As the war drew to a close, many women were content with going back to being housewives. However, many wanted to stay working. In 1962, Betty Frieden's book "The Feminine Mystique" captured the frustration and even desperation of this generation of women who wanted a larger role of a society trying to limit them. As the 1960s progressed, women fought for better jobs and equal wages as men, as they could do jobs just as well as the men could. When stood up against, these feminists held their ground. As times changed, it made less sense to have inequality against women, and the movement paved the way for the gender equality of present day America.
Americans have listened to those who dared to dream with open ears and if the circumstances at the time were suitable, have modified themselves to allow one individual’s dream to become reality. Most people have mentioned the unforgettable dreamer that changed the course of American history; Martin Luther King Jr. African Americans had experienced discrimination and hatred from day one. King hoped to rally African Americans together to combat the unfair Jim Crow Laws and push for civil rights. As post wartime was allowing other groups, such as women and the middle class, to become equals in society, it seemed suitable for King to start peaceful, nonviolent protests. Rosa Parks sat in front section of a Montgomery bus that was reserved for whites, and African American college students sat at a lunch counter for whites in North Carolina. Both of these acts triggered more people to join them in their protests. MLK had the greatest impact when he decided to educate people of the inequalities experienced by their fellow citizens just because of their skin color. King gathered hundreds of thousands of people together on August 28, 1963 (52 years ago today) “for the largest civil rights demonstration in American History until then.” (113) People were willing to listen to his speech about his dream for the equality of mankind, and began to put his dream in action.
ReplyDeleteKing reached out to Kennedy who was not interested in making civil rights his priority, however he found a supporter in Lyndon B. Johnson. Johnson, with the influence of MLK made civil rights his personal dream as well. He reached out to labor leaders expressing to then that “we have done too little…you must help me make civil rights in America a reality.” (121) When Johnson was presented with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, he told the entire nation that “We believe that all men are created equal, yet many are denied equal treatment…not because of their own failures, but because of the color of their skin.” (122) King’s as well as his own dream of equality came true when he signed the bill, and eventually also signed the Voting Rights Act. From then on blacks began to vote, hold government positions, and feel equal in society as much as people allowed them too. African Americans still faced discrimination, however experienced more freedoms as they ever have before. Johnson also dreamed of a utopia society that he called “the Great Society.” He described it as a society in which there was “liberty for all…an end to poverty and racial injustice…[and] every child can find knowledge to enrich his mind.” (123) From this dream came realities such as the Wilderness Protection Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Medicare, the Immigration Act, etc. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Lyndon B. Johnson shared their dreams with America, and with suitable conditions in society, their dreams came true.
Along with many of my classmates, I found the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. to be a prominent example of a successful adaptation of the "American Dream". King did not only dream about equality for African Americans but seized the opportunity to spread his ideas and beliefs after the war, as this was a crucial time for any desired modifications in the "American Dream" to take place. He rallied his fellow African Americans and lead nonviolent protests in hopes of overcoming the evident inequality, such as the Jim Crow Laws. Although MLK did not fully achieve equality for the African American race, he made the most progress for any man that tried, developing the "American Dream" for every African American up until today.
ReplyDeleteA second important example of a successful group advancement in the "American Dream" is the push for gender equality. As women began to lead every day life at home during World War II, they also began to see their strength and potential. As the war ended, they began to see how ostracized they really were in their male-dominant world. With strong leaders such as Betty Freidan and her founding of the National Organization for Women, women began to challenge the status quo and demand their rights as human beings. Although facing many setbacks, such as the common misconception of their inferiority to men in all aspects, the women of this time worked to help themselves and the women of today to finally be able to achieve the "American Dream".
America has always been a country that is able to adapt. Whether it was a shift in political ideals or social structure, we were always able to shift our values and goals towards cohesiveness. For example after the conclusion of World War I, the U.S. economy slumped into the Great Depression, the norms for families were extreme poverty. The American Dream was a moderate one, looking for equality and opportunities that would provide for families. After World War II, the middle class of America was was expanded and from that the American dream shifted from being able to put food on a table to having a TV or owning a car. The role of children changed from before WWII because of a drop in birth rates and in increase of child labor laws. The increase in money also usually allowed a parent to stay home with the children, shifting the “American Dream” towards having the ideal nuclear family.
ReplyDeleteAs well as the nuclear family gaining momentum, the Civil Rights movement was coming to a boil. The idea of equality was stingily emphasized in all political debates, whether it was an argument against or for it. Whereas before the ideas of equality was mainly focused on equality among Caucasian men, the discussions were broadened to not only women but also African Americans. The ideas of the “American Dream” were expanded past racial lines, and more and more people were able to achieve this goal.
Depending on the state of the American government and economy, the dreams of an individual are raised or lowered but rarely altered completely. One example of this is the idea of more education during the Cold War. Although the American dream often contained schooling for one's young, it wasn’t until the space race that Americans pushed so heavily on their science programs. This shows that different parts of the American Dream are called upon at different times to suit the needs of the country. Individuals change what they want based on what's available and in this case, when the USSR made it to space, individuals saw an opportunity to improve on their own space program and took it.
ReplyDeleteThe collective American Dream has changed over time, with it the dreams of individuals have had to adjust to fit this alteration. To make the collective American Dream more accessible, leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. had to to sell their ideas to the individual. Often powerful individuals ajust the American Dream to help better America. By creating movements and trends, King was able to alter the Dream and make it accessible to more people. In this way, individuals both follow and change the American Dream to suit the needs and time.
As America went through, and continues to go through “cycles of prosperity and depression, of war and peace, of political liberalism and conservatism” (384), many individuals and groups of individuals have emerged whose dreams have been modified to fit the circumstances they live, or have lived in. The circumstances Martin Luther King Jr. lived under caused him to dream of equal rights for African Americans living in the United States. Most African Americans in the mid-1950’s lived in the South, “where the Jim Crow system of racial segregation remained much as it had existed since the late nineteenth century” (84), and when blacks accidentally stepped over the color line, “the response could be swift and brutal” (84). As African Americans began protesting the Jim Crow system, Martin Luther King Jr. became the figurehead of the civil rights movement. Not only were they protesting the Jim Crow system, but they were also protesting the oppression African Americans suffered from throughout the country. King’s dreams of equality, brotherhood between all races, freedom, and justice were made famous in his “I Have a Dream” speech, which was delivered by King on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. Unfortunately, King was assassinated in 1968, but through his efforts significant steps have been made towards equality between races. While America clearly is not perfect in terms of racial equality today, we are definitely much closer than we were in the 1960’s, which we owe much in part to Martin Luther King Jr. and his circumstantially crafted dream.
ReplyDeleteIn the midst of the Vietnam War, a counterculture of individuals who “praised peace and condemned war” (146) emerged. The “hippies”, as they became known, were dissatisfied by America’s involvement in the Vietnam War and the “prevailing middle-class culture” (146). As a result, this group of young men and women dreamed of a society full of peace and love. In order to express their individuality and unconventional ways of thinking, “they wore castoff clothes” (146) such as “shirts and dresses tie-dyed in rainbow colors” (146). They gathered together in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood to protest the “Establishment”; the term they used to describe the federal government, and “numerous speakers praised peace and condemned war” (147). While the dreams of the “hippies” did not come entirely true, they represent a movement towards peace in a time of war, and their dreams were a result of the circumstances they were living in at the time. In America’s cycle of “peace and war”, the “hippies” were trying to push the cycle ahead to a period of peace during a time of war.
An outstanding example for success is Barack Obama who was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961 to a poor black African father and white American mother. He later went on to attend Columbia University and Harvard Law School, he had to work through school he relied on student loans and scholarship to pay his education. He was actively involved in programs to clean up the South Side of Chicago and was later elected to the Illinois State Senate. He ran for Congress in 2000 but lost in the primary, in 2004 he ran again for Congress and won the seat. Obama ran for the democratic the presidential bid, winning the nomination from Hillary Clinton. He then ran against the republican nomination John Mccain. He was then elected to the President of The United States of America, where he has brought in a new Government Health Care along with other domestic accomplishments. As the Commander in Chief for the death of Osama bin Laden, and Cuban-American relations lations were re-opened. Obama has gone through a tough start being born to a poor family but was able to persevere through a rigorous education and life to become President of The United States of America.
ReplyDeleteAnother great African-American man, that made a massive impact on Civil Rights was Martin Luther King Jr.. King was born to Reverend Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King, he started his life with the church with his mother being in the church choir. At an early age he noticed that white people white people got preferential treatment to black people in almost every case. He would go on to lead non-violent protests about the injustices against black people. King employed moving speeches along with meaningful protests that were able to persuade television viewers at home to the injustices of the laws. As King’s most famous speech said “I have a dream” he lived out that dream til the day that he died.
One example of individual dreams is Martin Luther King's dream of civil rights. As a black man is a segregated society Martin Luther King fought for what he and other African Americans deserve. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech paved the way for civil rights. His words changed the minds of many Americans and began to change their lives as well. As Martin Luther King fought for what he believed in many other people "modified themselves to suit the circumstances of the individuals who did the dreaming" (p.384). In simple terms, Martin Luther King's individual dream of civil rights led to a large uprising as the dream gained more followers.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the civil right movement the fight for women's suffrage grew more followers after WWII. During WWII many of the men went away to do their part in the war effort. This opened up a lot of jobs for women in the work place and gave them an opportunity to show that they could work just as effectively as men. As women began to move into the work place they also looked for rights similar to mens. The individual dream of Betty Freidan would help women to gain these rights. In the 1960s Freidan founded the National Organization for Women (NOW). Much like Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement, Friedan and the NOW began to gain more attention as more people joined the fight for women's rights.
As H.W. Brands discusses in American Dreams, Americans’ dreams do indeed change with the time. Depending on the current situation of the nation, the world, or certain smaller communities, people can dream of different things. For example, immediately following the second world war, Americans believed that they could achieve great things, which I discussed in my previous blog. They were coming out of a war in which they defeated fascism and potentially saved the world from dictatorships like those of Nazi Germany, Japan, and Italy. They believed that there was nothing that they couldn’t do. This feeling led to the space race with the Soviets during the Cold War. In these times, each country was trying to gain an advantage on the other and show off to the world who was truly the superior power. The United States decided to target the moon to show off their might; they dreamed that they could put a man on the moon in one decade. While in reality, this did not exactly provide a tactical advantage against their enemy, it provided themselves and the rest of the world with a sense that, once again, they could do anything if they put their minds to it. Another example of how the dreams of many Americans change with the times, is the war in Vietnam. After this disaster of a war, where Americans unsuccessfully attempted to stop the spread of communism in southeast Asia, Americans no longer wished to be the police of the world, “We have learned to recognize that more is not necessarily better, that even our great nation has its recognized limits, and that we can neither answer all questions nor solve all problems” (199). They no longer dreamed about getting involved with every conflict in the world and fighting for the side they thought was right, they realized that sometimes they had to leave things alone and let them be. Americans’ dreams and policies shifted as a direct result of the circumstances they were currently living in.
ReplyDeleteAmericans’ dreams are affected by the times they live in and world events that go on in their lives. Before the Great Depression, many Americans had good paying jobs, and were able to support their family. Those Americans had dreamt of being successful, and they fulfilled their dreams. During the Great Depression, Americans lost their life savings, and fell under heavy debt and poverty. They could no longer reach their dreams of being successful, but instead dreamt of returning to their previous economic status. Most people were not able to put food on the table for their families. Americans needed to adjust their individual dreams to ones that were reachable due to the Great Depression crushing their dreams of being successful for their family.
ReplyDeleteBefore U.S. involvement in WWII, many Americans believed in staying neutral and not joining the war. However, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor changed the minds of many Americans. Hatred towards the Japanese became widespread, and Americans dreamt of defeating the Japanese Pacific Empire and punishing the Japanese for attacking the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. Once Americans heard about the horrors of the Holocaust and the Nazis, the hate was directed towards them. Americans’ individual dreams are affected by the world events of the time.
Americans’ dreams are affected by the times they live in and world events that go on in their lives. Before the Great Depression, many Americans had good paying jobs, and were able to support their family. Those Americans had dreamt of being successful, and they fulfilled their dreams. During the Great Depression, Americans lost their life savings, and fell under heavy debt and poverty. They could no longer reach their dreams of being successful, but instead dreamt of returning to their previous economic status. Most people were not able to put food on the table for their families. Americans needed to adjust their individual dreams to ones that were reachable due to the Great Depression crushing their dreams of being successful for their family.
ReplyDeleteBefore U.S. involvement in WWII, many Americans believed in staying neutral and not joining the war. However, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor changed the minds of many Americans. Hatred towards the Japanese became widespread, and Americans dreamt of defeating the Japanese Pacific Empire and punishing the Japanese for attacking the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. Once Americans heard about the horrors of the Holocaust and the Nazis, the hate was directed towards them. Americans’ individual dreams are affected by the world events of the time.
What H W Brands makes very clear is the belief that the American Dream is a product timed with the birth of our nation. That the freedom to dream and build new dreams and embrace the hope to dream bigger dreams was born when we fought for our sovereignty. "All of which suggested that the heart of America's dreams was the act of dreaming itself". (384). Brands argues that the right to dream of a better life and set goals individually rather than be ordered to carry out imposed goals are at the core of our national value system, "the pursuit of happiness -what was that beside the right to dream and to chase one's dreams?" (384)
ReplyDeleteBrands highlights the transitions and definitions of the American Dream set by the ideals, priorities and interests of the times, as they shifted and changed. An example he gave that was very profound highlighted the Baby Boomers who had the dreams of 1945 being collectively ambitious "but individually modest". Whereas those of 2010 were "collectively modest but individually ambitious".
The issue highlighted that held the most relevant and timely contrast was immigration. Brands highlighted the 1924 Immigration Act that halted opportunity for immigrants to America by setting quotas and then in 1965 a new law made it easier for skilled workers to immigrate. And we can look at how this has evolved to today when there are 11 million undocumented workers being threatened with deportation, walls, angry and cruel labels such as rapists and criminals.
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ReplyDeleteAs America’s circumstances changed, both economically, and politically, the American dream evolved as well. When America was involved in a war, such as the Cold War, the war in Vietnam, or the war in Korea, Americans focused more on the country as a whole rather than their personal endeavors. This is why during these times Americans primarily had democratic presidents; people were more willing to pay higher taxes to support the country. In the aftermath of these wars people began to focus on their personal endeavors leading to eras such as the “baby boom” after WWII, and the hippie movement which originally rose in protest to the war in Vietnam. As Fukuyama explains after the end of the Cold War people shifted their focus from international endeavors to national ones such as “economic calculation, the endless solving of technical problems, environmental concerns, and the satisfaction of consumer demands”(278). Civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King and Betty Friedan created organizations to help support human rights such as, the “National Organization for Women”. Leaders such as these set a precedent for later civil rights movements such as the push gay rights.
ReplyDeleteRacial inequality along with women’s inequality have always been two dominant problems in America and all around the world. When it comes to fighting for equal rights, Martin Luther King Jr. is the man of the hour. Martin Luther King Jr. always dreamed of having the same rights as a white man. Though all African Americans shared this dream, they kept it to themselves and didn’t speak up and fight for their rights. MLK was one of the first African Americans to share his dream of equality with the whole country. Through powerful speeches, like “ I Have a Dream”, Martin Luther King Jr. was able to encourage many others to fight with him and this eventually paid off for the black man and white man became equal in America. If it was not for Martin Luther King Jr., racial inequality may still have been a major problem in the United States today.
ReplyDeleteAnother problem in America was women’s inequality. Since the beginning of time, males have always been the dominant ones in society. Women were always made to stay at home, care for the children, and clean the house. They weren’t even allowed to vote until 1920. If it wasn’t for certain women speaking up in protests and strikes like Betty Friedan, women may not have had equal rights in modern times. Because women were limited to almost no rights for hundreds of years, the world was not able to see their full potential. Now that women are equal to men, people can see how much a woman can accomplish and that they can impact society just as much as a man can. Women, as well as Martin Luther King Jr. had to fight for their equal rights, but in the end their dreams became alive and America was a changed place.
As Izaak said, Martin Luther King Jr. changed America's perception of equal rights and racism. It is important to note that all African Americans dreamed of a day when they could be recognized by their character, and not by the color of their skin. However, before MLK, many did not stand up for themselves and fight for their rights. King not only set an example for the black community, he united people of all race that believed the American Dream should not be limited to white people. With MLK's influence, America began to modify itself "to suit the circumstances of [those] who did the dreaming." It was this collective dreaming that ended America's policy of segregation and brought more rights to African Americans.
DeleteA second example of an individual who influenced America's dreams was Betty Friedan, founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Friedan and her followers urged other women to recognize themselves as strong and independent, and to open their eyes to the oppression they faced each day in a heavily male-dominant society. By challenging traditions that restrained a women to her household duties, NOW pushed America to dream for equality across genders.
In the novel American Dreams by H.W. Briggs, there are two examples of individuals in American history that by expressing their own dreams, have brought upon the country, dreams similar to their own. The first and most influential “dreamer” was Martin Luther King jr. He had a dream of racial equality in America and the end of segregation and racism throughout the country. He dreamt of a country in which black and whites intervened freely because everyone was equal. He believed that the segregation occurring throughout the country was inhumane and unjust. He used boycotts, protests, and most prominently his speeches. His rise in stature brought not just the black community but also whites, to dream with him, and fight for equality in the country based off of equals rights, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness. King’s most famous speech is titled, “I have a Dream”. In this speech he talks about what his dream for the country is, therefore spreading a message that inspires others to have dreams similar to his. Eventually black men and women in America would gain rights making them equal to whites.
ReplyDeleteThe second individual was not in fact an individual but in fact a group that had a dream that would transformed the country. This group were mostly women and they would fight for female’s rights in America. Before WWII women were seen as caretakers and it was tradition that a women would not work, but instead take on the difficult task of raising a family. During the war however many women took on jobs in factories and other work environments while the men were away at war. This shifted the view of women greatly. Many women continued to work and this changed the way society saw women. It would take a while, but eventually women would be equal to men in America.
Without a leader like Martin Luther King Jr., race equality would be nowhere near as recognized as today. King had skills as an orator; he always exuded a friendly, welcome personality, and his determination and compassion to erase the stigma surrounding African-Americans opened the eyes of hundreds of thousands of Caucasians. Martin Luther King became one of the most influential leaders of all time and was respected for never giving up on his vision for America even when other political leaders did including President Kennedy and President Johnson. KIng began an era of change and a new perspective on equality but by the 60s the spotlight turned to gender equality and female suffrage. During the second world war, women were left to take over the labor forces of America. This new idea of working caused the female working force caused the fight for equality to gain momentum. Betty Friedan, founder of National Organization for Women, rallied and encouraged America to rally with her in the fight to end sexism in the U.S.. 1971 marked an important year for feminists; an amendment was approved that recognized the equal right for women. These two examples both prove how much the American Dream has evolved and developed during this era.
ReplyDeleteCertain groups of people in America have consistently been dreaming for decades. These groups of people have been "dreaming" of a social change that would bring equality to the for front. The gay community in America have had to endure decades of scrutiny and inequality within the social and legal ranks in our country. Within this past decade, the gay community has had many major strides in reaching marriage equality in the U.S because of a long awaited social change. The book describes the successes in the community in the past decade saying "Gay people lived more openly than their counterparts of previous generations; that several states now let them marry made those in other states dream that they might marry too" (384). This year the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot ban same-sex marriage, requiring all states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Another group in America who have suffered years of inequality and social injustice are African Americans. For years they were not permitted to vote, and a systemic racism was created within our society. Many remnants of the cruel injustice suffered by African Americans still exists today, but in 2008 the presidential election indicated a change in America that many dreamed for. John Mccain (Obama's opponent in the 2008 election) signified the historic event by saying "Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and his country." (382) When Barrack Obama was elected, hope for racial equality was not seen as just a dream; it was a reality.
ReplyDeleteAmerica has brought forth many dreamers throu
ReplyDeleteAs many people already said, Martin Luther King Jr. is known as the influential dreamer. All MLK dreamed for, was peace, and equality between the races of America. Although many believed his skin color said otherwise, he was strong enough to fight through the discrimination and hardships, and persevere. He wanted everyone to have an equal opportunity to achieve the American Dream. During this time, blacks had little, to no opportunities to be involved, and engaged in the government, or even prospering and being successful. If it were not for his willpower, and oration skills, many whites, as well as blacks may have not rallied together for Civil Rights. Who knew that such a simple dream could change so much in the world. If it were not for Luther’s dream, we may not even have our current President today! Because of his willpower, and well thought out dream, it opened a new path so that even African Americans would have the chance to dream, and succeed.
ReplyDeleteAs another colleague of mine said, during the Cold War, the American Dream shifted from economic changes, to bragging rights. After World War 2, and the utter destruction of Europe, only two major countries were left standing, the USSR, and the U.S. The American Dream at this time was to show-off who could do what, not who would rebuild and create a new and improved country. From 1947-1991, it was an arms race, the best versus the best. If one country built one carrier, the other would build two. If one built 10, the other would build 20! Instead of real fighting, nuclear weapons were created to intimidate the other. This was a huge reason why there was actually no fighting that took place because many did not forget the effects the bomb had on Japan. This war created an anti-communist environment in the U.S., and a feeling of animosity towards Stalin because of fears that Russians would disturb their national security. The USA mainly tried to assert their dominance, as well as protect the democracy by using their pride, to defeat the USSR in an arms race.
Martin Luther King Jr is a man who had one of the most historic and world renowned dreams. On August 28, 1936 King attracted more than one hundred thousand followers for “the largest civil rights demonstration in American history until then.” (113). It was in front if this crowd in which King made his historic and highly quoted “I Have a Dream” speech. Martin Luther King is perhaps the most well known advocate for equality among Americans particularly among African Americans and whites. Discrimination and segregation were ever present issues in America at the time, stealing any chance of African Americans to live the American Dream. King demanded that protests should be peaceful, not violent. King also proves that you do not need to be someone as famous as a president to impact the lives of others, as both President Kennedy and President Johnson had to abandon King and his movement for a variety of reasons. King had so much influence over the people of America that he began to change their dreams. The people of America were now much more aware of the struggles for racial equality, and many now sought this equality.
ReplyDeleteThe American Dream was further modified by a the generation born between 1946 and 1964 known as the Baby Boomers. Compared to previous generations, the Baby Boomers were extremely spoiled and American culture became based around them as almost every part of life was modified for their generation. They were able to spend their childhood playing, a luxury that previous generations did not have. The Boomers grew up with “a sense of entitlement, a feeling that the world existed for their benefit that was more pronounced than the comparable sentiments of any generation before them.” (70) This sense of the world revolving around them changed the American Dream. People now dreamed for more luxuries and materialistic goods along with better pay. Dreams became more personal and selfish rather than for the greater good of the people. The Boomers promoted having personal dreams which generations now still have along with collective dreams.
During the time of the cold war, Americans were at a standstill war against the Soviets. Each side knew that the other had nuclear capabilities to destroy them, so neither side fought via weapons. They fought in a race with technology. The American dream had changed to reflect this race, such as with the race into space. Under other circumstances, people would probably not have had such outlandish dreams, however with both sides trying to reach this seemingly impossible goal, each side was encouraging and taunting the other to do better and reach farther.
ReplyDelete“Americans’ individual dreams adjusted for the cycles of prosperity and depression, or war and peace…They modify themselves to suit the circumstances of the individuals who did the dreaming.” (384) The American icon of a man with a dream is Dr.Martin Luther King Jr, a man who fought for the equality of all races. During a time when blacks and white were “separate but equal.” Dr.King and many others were proving how very unequal things really were, and his dream was for all people to be treated fairly. This man lead the Civil Right Movement to try to create change for a fairer and equal tomorrow; although he experienced many difficulties in his path of change, he “had a dream” and was not going to stop until he changed history with the attempted accomplishment of this dream. He modified the definitions of equality in society and helped create a society that was equal to all races.
People constantly adjust their dreams in order to fit the situation that they’re placed in at the time. In times of prosperity, people allow themselves to dream bigger and maintain a more hopeful outlook on life. In times of poverty, failure, or depression, dreams are adjusted to fit the circumstances, essentially lowering one's expectations. The same goes for times of war and times of peace, and even political affiliations.
ReplyDeleteBuilding off of what Sommer has already stated, I have to agree that the Baby Boomers are one of the most conspicuous examples in the text relating to the aforementioned quote. When reading American Dreams, Brand's breakdown of the Baby Boomers stuck out for me. At one point in time, the middle class was virtually nonexistent, but after World War II, it rose to prevalence and hasn't gone away since then. The "American Dream" that originated then has carried into modern times, with the middle class continually adjusting their dreams in order to fit their economic conditions. The emergence and growth of the middle class forced families across the country to lower their standards, focusing less on the notion of abundant material wealth and prosperity. Instead, those who identified as middle class citizens diverted their dreams and needs towards the bare necessities (as Sommer mentioned, mainly a steady job and a roof over their heads) of life.
Again, I agree with Sommer that women also allowed their dreams to adapt to the growth of the country. Just as in World War I, World War II resulted in more opportunities for the women of the United States. Since most of the men in the country were off fighting, women were forced to take on the roles of both men and women, balancing motherhood and laborious occupations that were traditionally reserved for men only. With this shift in their roles also came an overwhelming desire to achieve overall equality of the sexes. Women realized that they were just as capable as the men in pretty much all aspects of life, and therefore they wanted to abandon the idea that women were subordinate to men. For years and years, women were told that "they could have no greater desire than to glory in their own femininity" (176), and that "their role was to seek fulfillment as wives and mothers" (176). As women were exposed to more opportunities, however, many feminists' dreams shifted from fulfilling the role of the archetypical housewives they were expected to be, and more towards becoming whatever and whoever they wanted to be.
As human beings, there is no doubt that if we see an opportunity to prosper, we will take it. A relevant example, even for today, is the advocacy of women’s rights. Prior to WWII, the preconception of women was for them to stay at home, cook, clean, and take care of their families; “[they were] afraid to ask even [themselves] the silent question—“Is this all” (175)? This is because no one had ever thought to incorporate them into the workforce, politics, etc. as they did and had to in WWII. After working alongside men, women soon developed the idea that they were just as capable as the opposite sex and should be treated that way. Contrary to the American Dream, part of which discusses liberty and equality, women should not have to dream of the day when they are treated the same as their male counterparts. Taking a stand, Betty Friedan wrote her book “the Feminine Mystique” to raise awareness of the social injustice present in America. This early feminist also sparked the Women’s Strike for Equality. Friedan was clearly ahead of the game because not only did her book educate men, but also enlightened women on what and how they could be contributing to their society. As women were slowly integrated into the workplace, people finally started to view them as equals. Obviously the issue of gender equality is still an issue today, but inching closer to the achievement shows that just one individuals dreams can be spread through the foundation of liberalism.
ReplyDeleteAs many peers have already stated, another example of “American’s individual dreams…adjusted for the cycles of prosperity and depression, of war and peace, of political liberalism and conservatism” (384) is Martin Luther King Jr. Post WWII, this powerful and influential individual had a dream that some were just too scared to speak up about. Similar to women, it was a rare event that blacks were able to participate in any social, political, or economic situation that whites were freely allowed. Peacefully yet powerfully, the King took a stance. King is known for his incredibly persuasive and compelling speeches, and he used his words to inspire Americans to advocate for the right thing: equality. Most Americans today are appalled and even embarrassed for previous generations knowing that anything regarding segregation occurred. King introduced the idea that the American Dream is not only about receiving based on hard work, but also giving people the respect they deserve through equality.
I completely agree with Alex’s points on the progressiveness and perseverance of these dreamers that fought for social reform by striving towards racial and gender equality. I think the ceasing of opportunity is what led to the success of these reformers. Post WWII was the perfect time for reform considering the war gave women more opportunity and encouragement than ever before to join the work force and prove their competence. Additionally the widespread migration of black people during the war put the issue of segregation at a higher level of importance and relevance. Additionally, the success and stability that the United States exited the war with provided the perfect opportunity to work towards social equality. Now all the energy and time that had been spent worrying about the war could be focused on something else.
DeleteAs racial tensions heated up in major cities and in some cases even caused outbreaks of violence, Martin Luther King Jr. took the chance to fight for change. But rather than fighting fire with fire, MLK knew he needed to set himself apart through the use of solely peaceful protests. By acting at a time when the issue of segregation was at its height and a time when the United States was capable and stable enough to make a change, MLK played a big and influential role in the struggle towards racial equality.
As Alex mentioned, Betty Friedan was another important reformer who ceased an opportunity. She along with others fought for women’s right at a time when women had already proved themselves in the work force and the United States was in a comfortable enough position to think about social reform. Friedan along with other women took this chance to found the National Organization for Women in promotion of equal rights, justice, and treatment for women.
As the quote says, American dreams survive, because they are able to be “adjusted for the cycles of prosperity and depression, of war and peace, of political liberalism and conservatism. They modified themselves to suit the circumstances of the individuals who did the dreaming.” To me this means, dreams will change based on what an individual believes he/she/society needs. In the case of MLK and Friedan, their dreams were directly related to the inequality of the world they lived in and the unfair circumstances they were forced to face every day. I also interpret this quote as meaning that dreamers will modify their means of achieving their dreams based on the circumstances of the world around them. These two iconic reformers did this by choosing to fight their campaigns for equality at opportune times of stability and with peaceful methods that would gain the most widespread support.
Lyndon B. Johnson's struggle between focusing on the Great Society and the war in Vietnam demonstrates a perfect example of the adjustment of dreams during times of war and peace. Johnson hoped his Great Society would provide everything from right-to-vote laws to extension of minimum wage to high-speed trains to improvement of public schools. What Johnson was actually able to achieve before the Vietnam war was Medicare (medical treatment to Americans aged 65+), Medicaid (same for low income families), furnished preschool education, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (put major federal money into schools), Higher Education Act (underwrote scholarships and loans), sponsored projects in the arts, and most importantly the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (made it easier for blacks to vote). Unfortunately, the war in Vietnam halted Johnson's dreams for domestic improvement, instead he had to alter his dreams to stopping the communists in north Vietnam from progressing to the south. Johnson himself voices his conflicting dreams caused by the persistent war in Vietnam; "If I left.. the Great Society in order to get involved with that bitch of a war on the other side of the world, then I would lose everything at home"(133) All in all, Lyndon B. Johnson's struggle between maintaining his domestic developments and fighting a war demonstrates the effects war and peace can have on one's dreams.
ReplyDeleteAnother paramount example of the modification of the dream to the individual is the dream of Martin Luther King. As a black man King grew up suffering from racial discrimination which led him to aspire for change. In King's famous "I had a dream" speech he demonstrated how a single dream, shaped by his life growing up as a black man could lead to abundant change; “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”(114) Many black people across the country shared King's dream of equality and they made it clear by following his example in sit-ins and marches. One of King's most notable marches was the one that took place at Selma in 1965. King and other protesters marched peacefully in the hopes of improving their rights, but a white mob met them violently with batons, tear gas, bull whips, and rubber hoses. Nevertheless, people across the country let their dream for equality carry them to more marches, sit-ins, and public protests no matter the risks because equality is what they believed in. Overall, both Lyndon B. Johnson and Martin Luther King's struggle demonstrates how dreams "modified themselves to suit the circumstances of the individuals who did the dreaming."
Throughout American history the citizens of the U.S. have had to adapt to the circumstances in the country at the time. People have had to change their dreams depending on what was happening at the time. For example, during the Civil Rights movement the main goal for African Americans led by Martin Luther King Jr. was to create equality for blacks and whites so everyone could live the American dream. King led peaceful protests and made inspiring speeches that finally helped change the laws in the South. King and the African American community had to work tirelessly to achieve the goals at the time. Many people were too scared to speak up about their rights, but Martin Luther King Jr. spoke on behalf of everyone and became the voice of the Civil Rights movement.
ReplyDeleteAnother group of individuals that adjusted to the circumstances at the time were women after World War II. During the war women proved that they were more than stay at home moms and they could do the same jobs that men could do. Many women fought for female rights and they started working and keeping jobs, something that had never been done before. The U.S. has come a very long way with women's rights and we are ahead of many other countries, but there is still more work to be done.
Jim Crow established an unethical system that eventually aggravated many Americans, causing a lash out to bring an end to the unethical system in the South. Americans heard and understood the cries for equality from the South and took on the mindset to strive for racial and social equality amongst blacks and whites. Victims struggling against racial discrimination took great lengths for their cause, such as boycotting bus systems, massing protests in major cities, and performing awe-inspiring speeches. Despite the immense effort, not enough attention, especially federal attention, was drawn to the case. In response “King got more than his hundred thousand. Perhaps twice that number gathered on August 28, 1963, of the largest civil rights demonstration in American history until then.” (112). King’s march allowed President Johnson to crusade for civil rights because he knew no Southern president would ever be elected until the Jim Crow system was gone, thus taking a step to solving the struggle for racial equality.
ReplyDeleteThe Vietnam war turned for the worst, causing Americans at home to rethink their opinions on their government’s decision making. The Cold War continued to haunt the minds of Americans, therefore to back off in a standoff with communism was not a choice. The war seemed like a quick war, but the U.S. military failed to recognize the difficulties going into Vietnam. A different war was fought, where guerrillas and civilians would target unsuspecting American soldiers. The Vietnamese tactics caused the death toll to count higher, and less and less success turning up, widespread discontent among American civilians. People especially opposed the Vietnam war because it drafted thousands upon thousands of men for a lost cause. The encounter with the Vietnam war made Americans return to a more pacifist/isolationist mindset, similar to pre-WWII mindset. As a result, in the mid-seventies there were no major foreign intervention conducted by the U.S. military. Americans.