Without the American Dream, There Would be no America

American Thinker 

In 1922 renowned British author and theologian G. K. Chesterton wrote a travelogue of his tour of the United States, leading off with the proposition that America was unique among the world’s nations. It was not simply shaped by borders or a shared language; it was created based on a distinct creed -- a bold assertion of principles that gave rise to its existence.

That creed consisted of thirty-five words that began the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. The watershed document not merely delineated the infractions against the colonies by the British sovereign, it also put forth a sublime statement that God-given rights to live freely also granted people the ability to chart their own destiny: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

This simple, audacious statement captured what came to be called the American Dream: the possibility that a synergistic combination of individual freedom and self-determination held the potential to lead to a fulfilling and happy life. Thomas Jefferson wisely exchanged philosopher John Locke’s original statement that included a right to property with “the pursuit of happiness,” a term broad enough to extend past physical possessions to encompass a larger view of human flourishing. It would turn out to be the source code of American Exceptionalism.

These principles inspired the founding of a new nation, despite its imperfections. Ironically, they were written by an aristocratic Virginia slave owner in a country where one fifth of 3.5 million people were enslaved and excluded from the Declaration's vision. Realizing that promise required a civil war and many years of civil rights activism.

The idea of self-determination has remained remarkably strong, especially considering the substantial social, economic, political, and technological changes over the past two and a half centuries. At the heart of this inspiring American ideal is the belief that individuals can work toward their chosen place in life. The state does not assign anyone's job, career, or future, nor is anyone guaranteed a fulfilling life -- satisfaction ought to come through effort. A reward provided without work is often viewed as an empty one, but achieving fulfillment by striving can make it more meaningful. Even those born into wealth or privilege find more respect if they build their own lives instead of leaning solely on family fortune.

Likewise, there is no guarantee that one’s dreams or “happiness” will materialize the way they are envisioned, if at all. Failing, often many times, begets goal shifts and new opportunities. Post-New Deal/Great Society America set some guardrails of support for those whose circumstances adversely affected their ability to live and flourish independently. Nevertheless, the emphasis remains on creating a future through decisions and actions based on our interests, talents, motivations, risk assessments, and resourcefulness. Equal opportunity does not mean equal outcome. Life may be like a box of chocolates, but you never have to pick just one to find the flavor that approximates your goals and dreams. When failure proves insurmountable, it can spark fresh possibilities.

The term "American Dream" was coined in 1931, during the country's worst economic crisis. Charles Truslow Adams, a former stock investor turned writer and historian, introduced the concept in his book The American Epic.

…[T]he American dream, [is] that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement… It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and to be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.

The American Dream strongly appealed to immigrants, easily aligning with their desire for a better life. After fifty years of rising immigration during the Great Wave period of 1870–1924, Adams went on:

…[T]he American dream that has lured tens of millions of all nations to our shores… has not been a dream of merely material plenty, although that has doubtless counted heavily. It has been much more than that. It has been a dream of being able to grow to fullest development as a man or a woman, unhampered by the barriers which had slowly been erected in older civilizations, unrepressed by social orders which had developed for classes rather than the simple human being of any and every class. And that dream has been realized more fully in actual life here than anywhere else….

Adams referenced the source of the American Dream to Jefferson and his words in the Declaration. There is ample evidence supporting his claim that the American Dream exists. Both immigrant and native-born entrepreneurs have significantly shaped society, ranging from notable figures of the past such as Carnegie, Pulitzer, Hershey, and Ford to contemporary innovators like Jobs, Brin, Musk, and Bezos.

Just as the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and later amendments established legal support for inalienable rights, capitalism enabled countless Americans to pursue their ambitions. Through accessible finance, immigrants and native-born citizens could start small businesses -- whether restaurants, grocers, barbershops, or bodegas -- which provided both independence for their owners and jobs to others in their communities.

Some built empires by creating novel products or services. Edison's motion picture inventions launched a new industry, but immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe who opened thousands of movie theatres and started large film studios in the 1910s transformed it. By the 1930s motion pictures were the country’s fourth largest industry. Companies like Paramount, Warner Brothers, MGM, Columbia, Universal, and Twentieth Century-Fox (now Twentieth Century Studios), remain today.

After World War II, a triumphant America emerged as leader of the free world, set against the threat of expanding communism. During this pivotal time of forging a new national identity, the post-war American Dream became tied to the notion of the "American Way," where working hard, finding a career niche, and saving could lead to a secure, middle-class life and its most visible achievement, home ownership. Rising incomes, free college, and low-interest home loans through the G.I. Bill shifted aspirations in the late 1940s and 1950s from rags-to-riches stories to achieving a stable and comfortable middle-class life.

Today, politicians often speak of the American Dream as a vague indicator of personal wellbeing. But perhaps it's worth revisiting the American Dream as described in the Declaration and by Charles Truslow Adams: the freedom to pursue success in any chosen path, from running a corporation or corner bakery to maintaining a family farm or starting a tech firm. As AI reduces or replaces human labor, we must rise to the challenge by embracing creativity and adaptability. We should make thoughtful choices about our long-term goals, understanding that our pursuit of happiness requires us to adjust our dreams throughout life. Striving will be as important as ever.

If the American Dream goes away, both in practice and in collective memory, we will be a fundamentally different, unrecognizable nation, and a poorer one for it, both materially and in spirit.