The American Dream
Brooke Ray
Ms. Karolus
English III
September 22, 2010
The Beginning American Dream
The Pilgrims coming to the foreign land with their new ideas of religion and freedom was only the beginning of, what became known as, the American Dream. This all began by the hopes of the Pilgrims when arriving in their new land in hopes of an unmarked life. Since the start of this new world; Pilgrims, Colonists, Americans have been defining the American Dream.
The one main reason the Separatists left England was for religious freedom. They were hoping to gain the ability to be able to openly worship. Separatists were Pilgrims and some Pilgrims were Puritans. The Pilgrims wanted to break away from the Anglican Church altogether, they were known as the most radical of the Puritans. The Puritans wanted to “purify” the Anglican church of all Catholic rituals and traditions. Eventually, Pilgrims were granted full permission to settle on lands near the Hudson River (Holt, 61). The Pilgrims saw this as one way to restart their lives and not be controlled by England religiously. William Penn and the people following his ideals established Pennsylvania as a “Holy Experiment” (Medved). The Pilgrims slowly realized though, it was going to take a lot more than a move of continents to change the way people thought about religion.
The British government was also depriving the colonists of other unalienable rights. The Pilgrims wanted happiness and liberty and they wanted to prove that that goal could be reached (Hacht). The British still set overpowering rules and when the colonists did not obey the rules, British officials were sent over to enforce them. The Writs of Assistance gave British officials the right to search colonial homes and ships for smuggled goods (Reich). The colonists had to stand up for themselves now, they would not reach the level of independence they wanted unless they did.
Eventually the Pilgrims who moved to the new colonies became Americans. They gained this
Ms. Karolus
English III
September 22, 2010
The Beginning American Dream
The Pilgrims coming to the foreign land with their new ideas of religion and freedom was only the beginning of, what became known as, the American Dream. This all began by the hopes of the Pilgrims when arriving in their new land in hopes of an unmarked life. Since the start of this new world; Pilgrims, Colonists, Americans have been defining the American Dream.
The one main reason the Separatists left England was for religious freedom. They were hoping to gain the ability to be able to openly worship. Separatists were Pilgrims and some Pilgrims were Puritans. The Pilgrims wanted to break away from the Anglican Church altogether, they were known as the most radical of the Puritans. The Puritans wanted to “purify” the Anglican church of all Catholic rituals and traditions. Eventually, Pilgrims were granted full permission to settle on lands near the Hudson River (Holt, 61). The Pilgrims saw this as one way to restart their lives and not be controlled by England religiously. William Penn and the people following his ideals established Pennsylvania as a “Holy Experiment” (Medved). The Pilgrims slowly realized though, it was going to take a lot more than a move of continents to change the way people thought about religion.
The British government was also depriving the colonists of other unalienable rights. The Pilgrims wanted happiness and liberty and they wanted to prove that that goal could be reached (Hacht). The British still set overpowering rules and when the colonists did not obey the rules, British officials were sent over to enforce them. The Writs of Assistance gave British officials the right to search colonial homes and ships for smuggled goods (Reich). The colonists had to stand up for themselves now, they would not reach the level of independence they wanted unless they did.
Eventually the Pilgrims who moved to the new colonies became Americans. They gained this
Cited: Hacht, Anne. “The American Dream: Overview”. Literary Themes for Students. Gale, 2007. Web. Sun. 20 Sept. 2010. The American Nation. Austin, Texas: Time Warner Company, 2000. Mon. 13 Sept. 2010. Medved, Michael. “What the Pilgrims really sought; Their trip to the New World wasn’t about tolerance or diversity, it was about purity. Yet the Revolutionary struggle united these diverse believers and set us on a path to the unprecedented religious harmony that this nation now celebrates.” USA Today 23 Nov. 2009:1-3. ProQuest Platinum. Web. Wed. 15 Sept. 2010. Reich, Will. “Revolutionary War”. The Multimedia History Company. Rochelle, 2008. Wed. Mon. 18 Oct. 2010.