American_Dream

In 1492, Columbus discovered America in hopes that he and many others would find freedom and a land to call their own. The American dream has changed over many decades, but much of the dream managed to stay the same. The reason for the present changes is because of the diversity of cultures in America along with changes in the economy. In 1492 having the biggest car or greenest lawn was not a concern. The ultimate American dream was to live a rich, long, and happy life. In the generation in which most Americans, grandparents were growing up, the American dream was slightly different from today. The generation that grew up in the 60’s and 70’s were the freedom fighters and peace makers. This generation fought for the country to come together as one and preserve American rights. The generation of the 60’s and 70’s dream was for there to be peace, freedom, happiness, and love. In this era the country was at war with Vietnam and itself, which is the reason why this generation dreamed of peace and love. During this time Blacks were also still struggling to obtain civil rights. While blacks were trying to attain freedom the whole country wanted their dream of true freedom and constitutional rights. Happiness is also what all Americans dreamed of achieving. All these dreams that Americans had were reflected in what was happening in that time period. During the 80’s and 90’s this new generation had dreams similar to the Americans of today. Their generation’s dreams were to make it to college, own their home, be their own boss, and be happy. This generation essentially wanted to exceed the previous generation as far as education and self improvement. The previous generation opened many doors and as a result there were more opportunities available. The new generation realized this and took advantage of it. Many people wanted to graduate from college and be self-employed. Since people wanted to continue their education, the college graduate rate increased significantly. Many Americans realized that they could earn money to save and purchased their own homes, as a result owning homes became a standard. Once all of their dreams had been accomplished there was nothing more but to be happy or find happiness. This generation’s dreams were significantly different from those of the last generation which meant life in America had changed. The American dream has changed aver the years and the dreams of the new millennium generation is no exception. The dream is to find a job that is enjoyable, master it, own everything purchased, and be happy. This generation understands college is possible but to take it to the next level and master in it is necessary. Before pursuing any field this generation make sure it is something that fulfills them as a person. The wanting for fulfillment comes from the last generation making money but hating their jobs. This generation also places importance in owning whatever they buy. Their parent’s generation may have owned their homes, but had extreme amounts of credit card debt and possessions that they did not fully own. The fact that the economy is in such terrible shape now means they have no choice but to own and take on as little debt as possible. Lastly, the most important dream is to be happy. Prior generations tried to be happy but there was pressure on them so it made it hard to enjoy life. Life is currently easier and they can enjoy it. This generation observed many mistakes of the previous generations and knows what they need to do to succeed. Every American has a dream of what they would like to achieve in their life span. The American dream depends on the major issues and the economy of that time period. Most generations have different dreams, but the one objective that does not change is their longing to be happy. Throughout history every generation that touches American soil fights to attain the American dream which does not really exist because all Americans truly dream of is to be happy.