NEW BEGINNINGS: THE AMERICAN DREAM

Abstract

This portfolio identifies the principles of the American dream and explores how Americans recognized new opportunities and took advantage of them to improve their lives. A close examination of the challenges the United States encountered during the nineteenth century shows that specialized tools were needed to countermand the negative effects of industrialization and urbanization. This portfolio looks at three distinct situations that demonstrate how the American dream was or was not achieved during the nineteenth century. The Young Men's Christian Association helped young men achieve their American dream through evangelical Protestantism, Christian fellowship, and education. Strong local government was needed to maintain sound infrastructure and reliable transportation so that the members of its community were free to seek their American dream. Married women were denied their American dream because common law restricted them from owning property for most of the nineteenth century. This portfolio argues that while not all will be successful in realizing the American dream, it is attainable when one hopes for something better and is willing to work hard to achieve one's goals.