The American Dream & The Pursuit of Happiness

This is part two of American Goals and Purposes.

What is the American Dream?

In the Declaration of Independence, one of the first fundamental rights mentioned is the pursuit of Happiness. This right comes in the same sentence as Life and Liberty, and Happiness is capitalized, as was the custom then in denoting things that are important.

What is this Happiness we pursue?

In Of Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford describes firsthand the things that impelled the Pilgrims to leave Europe and come to America. He describes the oppression in England and the hardships of the life they had subsequently in Amsterdam. He talks of the approach of war and the fears and uncertainties war brings. They wanted to have a place where their children could grow--a place that might not be so hard on them, and a place that would not corrupt them, as they feared the crowded and licentious city of Amsterdam was doing. (Most people familiar with Amsterdam will agree that the word 'licentious' is not far from the mark as an adjective for it.)

America was seen as a place where they could begin to build something better.

After them, wave upon wave of immigrants in similar conditions, with similar thoughts, followed.

America was the New World--the place where we could do better.

Even today, people experiencing difficult conditions in their own countries find their way to America. Most of these new arrivals love this place and believe in its dreams.

The lure of riches is here, but the first thing is an opportunity to escape from poverty. There is also the escape from violence and oppression. These things mean something even today to people who come here from less fortunate places.

American Goals and Purposes

America's vitality comes from its belief in its goals and purposes. Let us discuss some of them, shall we?

The first one is: To Be Free
This is the most obvious one. It is what America stands for. Some people who become upset with America are upset because they feel it has failed to represent that goal adequately.

This goal is not original with America. It is traceable through Western history as a goal, but too often it has been unfulfilled or crushed completely. America is its latest and most current standard bearer--its champion if you will.

Freedom is a simple word, yet complicated in its many meanings and the emotions connected to it. A great deal has been written about it. Yet it is a battle cry that we all seem to understand.

The American Revolution stood for political independence and for individual liberty. In the Declaration of Independence, the purpose of forming a government was to secure the rights endowed in individuals. Rights were seen as granted by our Creator. Governments were only there to support those rights.

Americans value the freedoms they have in their own lives. Freedom is to some extent a quest for each person, and each person learns to balance their own free will with their responsibilities and the rights of others.

Fundamentally the idea is that people can be trusted to make the choices that shape their lives. We are adults, capable of being responsible. Therefore we are capable of being free.

In America, freedom is inextricably tied to democracy. Indeed, the two words seem to mean the same thing. Democracy is the system by which we remain free. The people govern themselves. It is a system fraught with danger and often abused. Political parties disagree on how it should be applied, and on what actually constitutes freedom.

We believe that all people can benefit from freedom and democracy, and we try to spread those qualities to all corners of the globe. It is our goal, our mission. It is part and parcel of who and what we are.