How The American Dream Has Changed Different Aspects of Life Over Time

The Road to Success

The road to success is not easy to navigate, but with hard work, drive, and passion, it's possible to achieve the American Dream. All people can strive to achieve this dream. The American Dream is subject to change for all types of different people. For instance, women's rights have improved, African Americans have more opportunities in the workforce, and the chance to get health care has improved tremendously.

How The American Dream Has Changed Different Aspects of Life Over Time

Women's Rights

The American Dream has improved greatly in its role with women's rights. In the 1800s, women had a set role of working in the house. All they did was cook and clean while their husbands went to work, usually on the farm. When World War One started in the early 1900s, women began to work in factories when the men went to war. After the war, women started getting more recognition for their hard work. Ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed, giving women the right to vote (National Archives, 2023). This was a significant step in the women's movement towards gender equality. The progression of women's rights continued with the introduction of more laws and societal changes, allowing women to pursue careers and education, further embedding them into the workforce.

Opportunities for African Americans

The American Dream has changed for the better with more opportunities in the workforce for African Americans. In 1619, the first 19 or so Africans were brought to the city of Jamestown. Slavery only intensified until 1865, when President Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery with the ratification of the 13th Amendment (Library of Congress, 2023). However, after slavery, life for Blacks didn't improve immediately. They were free from slavery, but with the advent of the Jim Crow Laws, they were still harshly discriminated against. Segregation in America did not start to change until the Civil Rights Movement. This was a time when Martin Luther King Jr. and many others began a movement to desegregate Whites and Blacks in America. This led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This act led to greater social and economic mobility for African Americans across the nation. It also banned racial discrimination, providing greater access to resources for women, religious minorities, and low-income families (U.S. Department of Justice, 2023). With the abolishment of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans have a better opportunity at life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Healthcare Access

Over many years, people have gotten the chance to seek medical help, even those from the lower class and the poor. Historically, people living with less money have not had the privilege of receiving professional medical help. In the past 50 or so years, hospitals have started accepting more patients regardless of their circumstances. It used to be that if you didn't have enough money or health insurance, you were turned away. Now that hospital policies have changed dramatically, hospitals cannot turn you down for any reason. On March 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, was passed. This law provides customers with subsidies that lower costs for households with incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty rate (Healthcare.gov, 2023). In other words, people with a low income can apply for Obamacare and have a form of healthcare at a lower cost. With the changing of hospital policies and the passing of the ACA, people can have healthcare more affordably. When people have healthcare, it gives them life, and life is the main piece in the saying 'Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness'.

Conclusion

When women's rights progress from virtually nothing to what they are today, race inequalities improve significantly compared to 60 years ago, and healthcare becomes accessible for all people, rich or poor, it shows that the American Dream has changed for the better. With these changes, Americans can strive to achieve great things that were not possible in history or many other countries.

References

• National Archives. (2023). 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Women's Right to Vote. Retrieved from https://www.archives.gov
• Library of Congress. (2023). The Emancipation Proclamation. Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov
• U.S. Department of Justice. (2023). Civil Rights Act of 1964. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov
• Healthcare.gov. (2023). About the Affordable Care Act. Retrieved from https://www.healthcare.gov