The “American Dream” is the ideal life of happiness that all Americans aspire to achieve The American Dream represents goals and dreams that Americans hope to achieve at some point in their lifetimes. Every individual has a different American Dream, whether it is having freedom, more job opportunities, or a stable family and job. These Americans include those born and raised in the U.S. and immigrants who travel to the U.S. in hopes of leading a better life.
One example of a historical person who has achieved the American Dream is inventor, Nikola Tesla. Nikola Tesla accomplished the American Dream through determination and hard work. He started out as just an assistant for Thomas Edison and often overshadowed by his mentor’s success. He decided to gain success on his own by joining forces with George Westinghouse, who invested in his inventions. Edison neglected Tesla’s invention of AC currents and created DC currents, which he thought were safer and better. Tesla’s AC currents became far more successful than Edison’s DC currents and were chosen to be used to light up the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Nikola Tesla’s dream wasn’t to gain more success than Edison but to create successful inventions. He achieved his American Dream and his invention of the AC currents are still used to this day in everyday households around the world.
Another example of someone who has achieved the American dream is John. D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller started out in a poor household and had to work to earn money for his family. He had small jobs around the neighborhood and even loaned people money that he saved up and charged them interest. When he discovered the oil that was nearby, he realized that oil could make a difference in America and the opportunities it could provide for him. He used his business skills to create an oil company which would later lead him to great success. His dream was to take over the entire oil industry which he did by monopolizing the country’s oil refining and distribution.
Many people had their own personal American Dreams during the California Gold Rush era. During the Gold Rush, thousands of pioneers traveled west from all over the U.S. in hopes of finding gold and achieving the American dream. They were...
