ENGL 3231 American Dream

Year taken: 2013-2014

Professor: Nereida Prado

Class: INGL3231

University: University of Puerto Rico, Cayey Campus

Grace H. Rodriguez Cruz

INGL 3251-140: American Literature I

Mrs. N. Prado

October 30, 2013

The creation of the American dream and the voices that pursued it

        “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations get corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” says Benjamin Franklin in his so famous autobiography describing his humble beginnings and his ascended life to wealth and power. The United States had just been declared free from England and had begun a lifestyle of their own choice. During this process, we can notice the emergence of illustrious people in the moments the country needed the opinions and guidance to start the independent ways and the powerful political structure needed to prosper. It is no surprise most of these men who succeeded to be heard became some of the most important figures in the American history. These figures needed to explore the optimistic views of hard work and a fresh start which would inspire the humble and the rich to work together for the better of the newborn country and its future generations. It is by their famous and unique contributions that Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and J. Hector St. John De Crevecoeur outstand apart to become fathers of the American dream.

        Benjamin Franklin sponsored the Enlightenment ways of a virtuous life. It came to acknowledge of the people how with hard work he managed to get to where he was and how many others wanted to follow his footsteps. He sponsored the reading, the reasoning and learning since a young age for he believed that superstitions and fear would only drag the people down a rabbit’s hole. He believed in education and how with it, the virtues of a wonderful being were created: “1. TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation. 2. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. 3. ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. 4. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. 5. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing. 6. INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. 7. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you...” his optimistic views in a hard life expressed in his autobiography won the hearts of the society and established the faith in social reform. The people began to be less scared and more determined putting the “Witch Trials Era” aside to begin a more logic and educational platform without losing their faith.

        Thomas Jefferson made his impact with the “Declaration of Independence” and the concept of equality. He believed there were reasonable causes to separate their relation with the government, example to this was the “Great Chain of Being” which explained how the human beings were socioeconomically categorized as inferior or superior and closer to God and his divine creations. Just like Franklin, Jefferson believed in the Enlightenment and the ways of obtaining freedom and happiness: “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. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.” 

        J. Hector St. John De Crevecoeur brought the concept of being an American and the utopian concept of the American people. In “Letter of an American Farmer” he gives meaning to being an American: “What then is the American, this new man?...He is an American, who, leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds. He has become an American by being received in the broad lap of our great Alma Mater. Here individuals of all races are melted into a new race of man, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world.” Crevecoeur follows by explaining how Europe misses the comfort of its people and the rude ruling towards them when America is a “mixture of English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans, and Swedes" who live among each other and prosper without problems of co-existing. He proceeds to bash his “homeland” while praising the great change of United States: "Can a wretch who wanders about, who works and starves, whose live is a continual scene of sore affliction or pinching penury, can that man call England or any other kingdom his country?", "a country that had no bread for him...", "who met with nothing but frowns from the rich...", "No! urged by a variety of motives, here they came." Because of these, many more people were convinced on how an amazing change it is to live away from the old world to conquer this beautiful idea of freedom and prosperity in the new lands. These gave away many hopes of a better life.

        Even if these illustrious figures did had their down sides and their secrets, it is no secret for us that this type of speech and writing is what we have always known as the “land of the dreams come true”. The United States are still considered to be the place of freedom, dignity, acceptance and overall, equality. Many of these may not apply to its current situations, but this reputation is what keeps the Americans proud of their roots and flag.