The American Dream
The American Dream
The American dream. The exact definition of this term has changed greatly over the coarse of American history, but the desire to obtain it has not. This idea in its most basic form is the wish to be happy, the desire to better oneself and to achieve the ideal life. The thought of the American dream is deeply rooted in our history and many different groups of people through time have struggled to achieve their version of the American dream. Although many people have struggled to achieve this goal, when most people think of a struggle for equality and opportunity in American history, the African American community is the usually first group to come to mind. After slaves were officially emancipated they were finally free to pursue their American dream. This eventually led to the Great Migration and the conflict that followed. The Great Migration was a mass movement of blacks from the South to the North in the early 1900’s. They moved with the intention of escaping persecution and finding greater economic opportunity. The Great Migration had an impact on everybody. Three of the most affected groups were migrating blacks, the already established blacks, and Southern whites dealing with a labor shortage. The conflicting views during this time caused increased violence and race clashes.
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The group most affected by the Great Migration was the blacks that were moving north. They were seeking the American Dream in the economic stability and an escape from the persecution in the South. Southerners looking for work would often write into newspapers such as “The Chicago Defender” asking for work and housing1 . Most of the first migrants were single men and women with no attachments. They stabilized in the north and then went back south to get their families.2 When the men and women from the north came down and told their friends and families about the freedom and wealth of the north many were expecting great things. Some with high expectation
The American dream. The exact definition of this term has changed greatly over the coarse of American history, but the desire to obtain it has not. This idea in its most basic form is the wish to be happy, the desire to better oneself and to achieve the ideal life. The thought of the American dream is deeply rooted in our history and many different groups of people through time have struggled to achieve their version of the American dream. Although many people have struggled to achieve this goal, when most people think of a struggle for equality and opportunity in American history, the African American community is the usually first group to come to mind. After slaves were officially emancipated they were finally free to pursue their American dream. This eventually led to the Great Migration and the conflict that followed. The Great Migration was a mass movement of blacks from the South to the North in the early 1900’s. They moved with the intention of escaping persecution and finding greater economic opportunity. The Great Migration had an impact on everybody. Three of the most affected groups were migrating blacks, the already established blacks, and Southern whites dealing with a labor shortage. The conflicting views during this time caused increased violence and race clashes.
Page 1
The group most affected by the Great Migration was the blacks that were moving north. They were seeking the American Dream in the economic stability and an escape from the persecution in the South. Southerners looking for work would often write into newspapers such as “The Chicago Defender” asking for work and housing1 . Most of the first migrants were single men and women with no attachments. They stabilized in the north and then went back south to get their families.2 When the men and women from the north came down and told their friends and families about the freedom and wealth of the north many were expecting great things. Some with high expectation