Heinsohn 1
Jacob Heinsohn
One’s Own American Dream
By definition, the American dream is the concept of an
opportunity of success and prosperity, but is it the same for
everyone? Some might say it is achieving goals as a political
party, or gaining equality and freedom. The Republican Party
wanted to better the infrastructure in America, women wanted
equality among men, and slaves wanted to be freed; nevertheless,
each of these groups had there own form of an American dream,
and they each achieved in gaining it.
By the 1820’s, America had adopted a republican form of
government. This was a market based economy that had a goal of
making America a thriving capitalistic society. The Republican
Party focused on banks and transit systems.
In 1816, the republican dominated congress chartered the
Second National Bank, which led to 246 chartered banks with over
sixty-five billion dollars in banknotes in circulation. The bank
was often very corrupt, and its banking pattern helped spark the
panic of 1819.1 The bank was disliked by many, and when the idea
1
Henretta, America a Concise History, page 226.
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of the bank’s recharter was brought to Andrew Jackson in 1832,
he vetoed it and deemed it unconstitutional.2
Moreover, because the country was divided by vast
geological obstacles,3 the republican government also focused on
building a transit system to help increase trade. State
legislatures granted hundreds of charters for turnpikes to be
built, this would increase trade, but also allow monopolies to
take place.4 Canals were also built to help increase trade on
water ways; this led to trade in inland regions on a vast scale.5
The republican government completed their goals, but political
reform later modified them and sparked other activists groups to
reach out for their goals, including women.
In Colonial America, women were expected to obey their
husbands and fathers at all times, to never speak on political
or religious matters, and were denied formal education. They
were not allowed to own property; even something as little as a
war bond had to be held by a male family member.6 Despite these
restrictions, as America gained its independence, women began
Sheets, Sources for America’s History, “Andrew Jackson, Veto
Message Regarding the Bank of the United States (1832)”, page
248.
3
Sheets, Sources for America’s History, “HON.P.B.Porter, Speech
on Internal Improvements (1810)”. Page 226
4
Henretta, America a Concise History, page 228.
5
Sheets, Sources for America’s History, “Building the Economy
(1830-1832)”, page 185.
6
Henretta, America a Concise History, page 176.
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speaking out for their own independence and equality. Even
though many politicians ignored women’s pleas for equality,
American women did not back down; they continued to petition for
equal rights, especially in education.
The new republican belief in educated citizens opened huge
windows for many women. Some believed women should be educated
in society, manners, and the government of the country.7 Other
female activists argued that men and women were equal in mental
capacity, and that women were inferior to men not because of
natural causes, but due to lack of training.8 Women not only
fought for education rights, but also for religious reform.
Furthermore, women were also restricted from having a voice
in religion. For years it was considered wrong of a women to
speak on religious matters. During the second great awakening,
women gained new roles in religion. Some believed that a women
should live for God first and her husband second.9 Women began
taking charge in religious institutions due to their numbers and
began creating organizations to help benefit neglected groups of
women. Additionally, women convinced ministers to begin having
mixed sex prayer meetings. Religion also opened new doors for
Sheets, Sources for America’s History, “Benjamin Rush, Thoughts
Upon Female Education 1787”, page 191.
8
Sheets, Sources for America’s History, “Judith Sargent Murray,
On Equality of the Sexes (1790)”, page 206.
9
Sheets, Sources for America’s History, “Margaret Fuller, Women
in the 19th Century (1845)”, page 261
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women in the form of education; women were taught in the church
and eventually began taking roles as public school teachers. As
women fought for educational and religious representation,
another neglected group in America was fighting for their
freedom.
Slavery began long before Americans thought about their
independence. Africans were auctioned to the highest bidder like
livestock, and enslaved into a life of manual labor and
discrimination. Years of working long days in the fields of
plantations led slaves to develop their American Dream of
freedom.
As the Revolutionary War broke out, many slaves supported
the war and even fought alongside the patriots. In Rhode Island,
Massachusetts, Maryland, and Virginia slaves took up arms in
exchange for the promise of freedom; the Virginia legislature
passed the manumission act in 1782, which led to 10,000 slaves
gaining their freedom.10 In contrast, some slaves believed that
King George III would be their savior; 30,000 slaves fled from
their owners and made their way behind British lines, and many
were relocated in Canada and English colonies in Africa.11 As the
war came to an end, the majority of slaves in America did not
receive the same luxury.
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11
Henretta, America a Concise History, page 237.
Henretta, America a Concise History, page 237.
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After the war, some slave owners in the Chesapeake area
allowed their slaves to work as artisans or laborers in order to
buy their freedom.12 However, in fear of emancipation, slave
owners in the Deep South constricted their grasp on their
slaves; in addition, the Atlantic Slave Trade was reopened and
115,000 slaves were imported in Savannah and Charleston between
1790 and 1808.13 Slaves in the Deep South knew how terrible their
life was; for example, many slaves considered themselves the
most degraded, wretched, and abject people since the beginning
of time.14 Slaves knew that in order to achieve their dream of
freedom, they had to take matters into their own hands. Many
enslaved African Americans attempted to run from their
plantations, but very few successfully achieved this. The slaves
that could not escape the wrath of their owners faced severe
punishment, such as being dragged behind a buggy all the way
back to the plantation.15 The majority of actions taken by slaves
were for their dream of freedom, so when emancipation was
finally enacted, slaves were extremely joyful about finally
Henretta, America a Concise History, page 238.
Henretta, America a Concise History, page 238.
14
Sheets, Sources for America’s History, “David Walker, Preamble
to Walker’s Appeal in Four Articles (1830)”, page 277.
15
Sheets, Sources for America’s History, “Levi Coffin,
Reminiscences of Levi Coffin (1876)”, page 286.
12
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reaching their American Dream; additionally, a day in Louisville
was even appointed to celebrate the extremely important day.16
In short, each of these groups had their own form of an
American dream, and they achieved their dream in their own ways.
The Republican Party strengthened the infrastructure through
means of transit, women gained religious power and education,
and slaves gained their freedom. Overall, the American dream is
not set in stone; it is what one truly desires that defines the
American dream.
Sheets, Sources for America’s History, “Harry Smith, Fifty
Years of Slavery (1891)”, page 353.
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