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"The American ought therefore much better than that wherein either he of his forefathers were born. The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles and forms new opions."

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"The American ought therefore much better than that wherein either he of his forefathers were born. The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles and forms new opions."

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Supplemental Text: "Letters from an American Farmer", by Michel-Guillaume Jean de Crevecouer. (1782)

This is the idea that we as a country are a melting pot, and that we all must forget our past and focus on our future. We are better than our forefathers because we are trying to live in a country of diversity and dreams. The US is seen as a country where new people can have their own principles, opinions, and dreams. While they don't always work out, America is still a place where people can do what they want, make new societal norms, and live amongst all sorts of different people.

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"It may well be the key to our future as a nation and a culture. We can no longer ignore the voice within women that say 'I want something more that my husband and my children and my home'. "

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"It may well be the key to our future as a nation and a culture. We can no longer ignore the voice within women that say 'I want something more that my husband and my children and my home'. "

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Supplemental Text: "The Feminine Mystique" -Betty Friedan (1963)

This text talks about women's rights as a whole, and when we were first created as a country the constitution stated that all MEN were created equal, and had little recognition of women as a whole. However, as time progressed women wanted more for themselves, and they fought for their rights, They're dream became a reality as women began to vote, have jobs, and live their own lives. It changed our nation as a whole, cultures shifted, and how they as Americans changed the way we see things as a whole. They opened new opportunities.

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"It is easy, when you are young, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough, it is your god-given right to have it. "

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"It is easy, when you are young, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough, it is your god-given right to have it. "

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Supplemental Text: "Into the Wild" -John Krakauer (1996)

This is the idea of America as a whole, it is your place to choose your path and do whatever you want. John Krakauer is saying that we all have our desires and dreams, and when we are young we truly believe that we will achieve those things. This isn't true, but being young, confident, and a little crazy, we think it is destiny to achieve our dreams. This idea of the American Dream is seen throughout this novel and our society, and because we are Americans we are ambitious. We want change. We believe that if you work hard enough, then your dreams will always come true. The American dream is very different than the American reality.

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"Let America be America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain... Seeking a home where he himself is free."

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"Let America be America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain... Seeking a home where he himself is free."

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Poem: "Let America be America Again" -Langston Hughes

(1936)

Langston hughes is stating that we need to make America the way it has always been perceived, a place where ANYONE can have a dream and can make their own decisions. We can be the new pioneers of something special, but that doesn't come without freedom and equality for all. This is what America is perceived as a place of dreams, but there were a lot of people who had to fight for what we have today.

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"You can change the law, but you can’t change people and how they treat each other."

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"You can change the law, but you can’t change people and how they treat each other."

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Book Quote: "The Nickel Boys": Colson Whitehead (2019)

Laws have changed over time in America that have given equal rights to people of different races, genders, and other protected classes, but this hasn't stopped the hate that still occurs in America. Because we are a country where everyone can choose their path and make their own opinions, people still get treated unfairly. It is an issue in America that we still strive to change today and is something that may remain for a very long time. "The American Dream" has setbacks, and sometimes they can come from things outside of our control.

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"We are not a people held together by blood, no one knows who an American is except by what they believe. It's important that we do know our history, because our history is the source of our Americanness."

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"We are not a people held together by blood, no one knows who an American is except by what they believe. It's important that we do know our history, because our history is the source of our Americanness."

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Other Source: Historian Gordon Wood (1997)

Wood talks about how we are a melting pot of culture that is not related by blood. Americans are built upon their actions and what they believe. Everyone can make their own choice and do what they want, this is why it is important to understand our history. It is important to understand how we got here today, why laws are in place, and learn from our previous mistakes so we can all push towards a better future as a country and a society.

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"I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seen so close that he could hardly grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere in that vast obscurity beyond the city." 

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"I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seen so close that he could hardly grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere in that vast obscurity beyond the city." 

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Book Quote: "The Great Gatsby" -F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925)

The novel The Great Gatsby as a whole shows the life of the rich in America in the 1920s. Gatsby wants Daisy throughout the novel. He believes that with extreme money and after years of longing, he will eventually achieve what he wants. He thought he was so close, but was blinded by the same foolishness that is seen throughout all of America. His dream is in the past and is unachievable. Americans all have a dream, but they may never be reached. The reality of America is that there are underlying issues that we need to work to fix. Since this book was published a lot has changed, but this did not come without people who had dreams like Gatsby, they worked hard, and they accomplished amazing things.

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"I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream."

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"I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream."

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Other Source: Bruce Springsteen (2012)

What is the Difference? The American Dream is what we strive to be, a country where everyone has equal opportunity and with hard work everyone will achieve what they want. However, this is very different from the reality of America. There is still hate, and many people never reach their dreams. In America, you make your own culture and believe whatever you want, and our dream is for every to get what they want. While the reality is that this goal is impossible. The difference is that because everyone can make their own decisions, the dream will never be a reality.

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"A perfect world is never perfect, only filled with lies."

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"A perfect world is never perfect, only filled with lies."

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Song Lyric: "PRIDE" -Kendrick Lamar (2017)

This quote perfectly sums up the American Dream. Kendrick is stating that there is no perfect world, and there is no way that everyone will be able to reach their dreams and live the life they dream. The only way you could do that would be to live in a world of lies. This sheds light on the idea of the difference between the American dream and reality. While we as Americans all strive for change and create new customs, there is no way for everyone to be happy. The only way to do that in America, would be to live a world of lies.

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"America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand."

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"America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand."

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Other Source: President Harry S. Truman (1950)

Truman talks about how we as Americans are ambitious, take risks, and are determined to make our dreams come true. Even though we don't always achieve our dreams we will fail, get back up, and try again. This is the American identity, we wouldn't be where we are without people fighting for equality, and striving for changes in society.