The American Dream

This week, in both American Literature and American Studies we talked about the “Roaring 20s” and the Great American Dream. We also discussed the disparity between the rich and the poor and how the rich got richer and the poor got poorer during this era. I think that the main reason that so many people immigrated the the United States during this era was because they had seen how successful America had become during the Industrial Revolution. They wanted to create a new future for themselves and have a fresh start. I also think that they thought of America as a place of freedom and great opportunity, where anyone could do anything, without any restrictions. Furthermore, they had heard of many “Rags to Riches” stories, such as that of Andrew Carnegie. The impression that they could make lots of money and become even more rich was further supported by the stories written by Horatio Alger. His stories would focus on a character who was genuinely good at heart and started from nothing, but eventually rose to the top. These immigrants desired to become a part of the “white picket fence” American dream and wanted to bring prosperity and happiness to their families. Of course there were other reasons that people came to America, such as oppression in their home countries and famine, but I think that money and the desire to succeed were the main reasons for the immigration boom in the Late 19^th to Early 20^th centuries.