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Mikaylan Simon
Mrs. Coco
English 1001
15 November 2016
Audience: Political Science students who want to learn about the American Dream, and how it
equates to equality.
Preface: When creating this document, I struggled vigorously with finding a topic. Upon the
class conferences, I had originally directed my essay to display the correlation between State and
Religion. However, this topic proved to be difficult when creating an inquiry essay. I believe that
the direction in which I have taken this essay will prove to be an effective in creating an inquiry.
With this said, I do believe the essay has some major problems. I am uncertain to whether or not
the essay seems more as a fact dumb than a real inquiry essay. I am also uncertain in the context
of my use of citations. When finding the resources, after writing most of the paper, it proved
difficult to find journals that dealt specifically with my topic. I instead used speeches and
historical documents to suffice as my works cited. The fluidity of my essay seems to work well
to contribute my main focus, but I am unsure if there could be anything that need to change to
help relay my focus in a better way.
1. If I had two more weeks to help improve my inquiry research paper, I would spend most
of it working on organization, focus, and development. I believe my paper does have
meet the necessary requirements, but I would have added more information about the
American Dream and how it affects the citizens. I would have added more research sites
and continued bring more detail into my paper.
2. When constructing the inquiry research essay, I learned a lot of things. Most of the things
I have learned were how to construct an inquiry question. I had the most difficult time
constructing an inquiry question and converting it into a paper. I found my questions to
be more yes or no based that could be dismantled in seconds. I believe with this essay
question I have created a correct inquiry research paper. I understand my paper still has
flaws but I believe I have learned how to further create inquiry essays that question will
embody a true inquiry.

The American Dream

Over the course of a tense American political system, divided between different
ideological beliefs, many politicians and potential elected officials declare once elected to office,
they will restore or expand the American Dream. Depending on the party, politicians offer stark

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changes to the mainstream agenda, offering the American people more options and a chance to
vote for a certain belief and different path. Some even declare that the current administration has
absolutely went rogue from original American ideals killing the American Dream, and declare
that they, solely by themselves when elected, will restore the American Dream. Others, who
agree with the mainstream direction in which the administration in power has gone, declare that
the American Dream is move available than ever before, and believe that we as a people need to
continue in the direction the current administration has brought.
Many individuals vote dependent on ideological values, and subjects whether or not the
government can solve all or most issues to create an environment where the American Dream
will be easier to obtain. Others vote more in a Darwinian theory believing we as a people need
little to no help from government, and that the people will thrive when tasked with fending for
themselves. Even though they have ideological differences, most still believe the American
Dream is still a plausible way of life. To further understand how people perceive the American
Dream, we need to reveal how has the definition of the American Dream changed over time to
ensure equal opportunity and equality?
The first instance of the American Dream occurred when colonists came to America
during the 16th and 17th century. As Englands economy faltered causing high inflation and
poverty, many chose to seek out prosperity in the New World. Religious freedom was also an
incentive that brought European immigrants to the New World in prospect of establishing their
own religion. The political climate had become a tumultuous place where civil unrest and
prosecution were prominent. Unfortunately, the American Dream could not be achieved under
European rule, thus creating an atmosphere of revolt pushing for independence. When pushing
for independence, the founding fathers wrote in the Declaration of Independence: We hold these

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truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happinesswhenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the
Right of the People to alter or abolish it (US 1776). This instance displayed the first
adaptation of the American Dream, an idea that the people had a right to live however they
wanted, with liberty, to pursue the thing that made them happy.
Upon building the foundation of the United States government, the founders wanted to
secure the rights of the people. This was to ensure that foreign government could not oppress
them nor could the federal government gain too much power. If government was not limited, it
could overpower the citizens resulting in the loss of individual liberty. By limiting the
government, the founders made it possible for freedoms in which the government could not
infringe. Although limiting government increased individual liberty, it also can limit
governments ability to take action for its citizens. The founders then decided that not only must
government be limited, but the basic rights of the people must be outlined. With this in mind, the
founders went to create the Bill of Rights, or otherwise known as the first ten amendments to the
United States Constitution. The Bill of Rights enumerates our most important personal rights
and liberties, and without which the United States Constitution would be a mere skeleton. The
judiciary has been the most important institution in our country in interpreting and enforcing
those fundamental rights (Moyer, 375).
Although the foundation of America was built upon the very aspects of liberty,
individualism, and freedom, many were not able to receive these benefits from early on. In
Liberty and Equality for Whom? How to Think Inclusively about the Constitution and the Bill
of Rights, Justice Marshall was quoted for stating the fact that the founders of the Constitution

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had a defective view of freedom and equality. Because of that view, Blacks were excluded from
civil rights (Belz, 263). Slavery was a vicious and cruel implementation that reveled on the
denial of basic human rights for individuals of African descent, shipped to America to serve
European immigrants and their families. Contrasting the Bill of Rights, slavery violated every
amendment with the transfer of slaves alone. Slaves were quartered at the bottom of the ships, in
crowded and confined areas with little food. The health implications were terrible, and many
slaves died before they could encounter the viciousness of what came to be. When slaves
disobeyed their masters, they were greeted with violent lashings, mutilation, branding and even
rape. Many slaves sang songs most of which were about hope that one day, they would be ridden
of the inhumane practices that was slavery. These songs carried them through the rough and
dangerous climate, that was slavery. Without any way to speak out against the brutality that they
were met with, slaves used their songs to tell stories, of the dangers they have encountered and
the dream that one day, it would change.
After the civil war, the African descent slaves received the very thing they prayed for.
President Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, declared that slaves were now free in the
Emancipation Proclamation. That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated
part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be
then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States,
including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of
such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts
they may make for their actual freedom. (Lincoln 1863). This proclamation was the dream the

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slaves had been wishing for. Now, they could be a free people who no longer had to live in
bondage under inhumane systems.
Unfortunately, more institutions came about that separated both the white and black
constituency. The areas that only blacks were allowed were not as clean or equal to the whites.
During this time, many African-American came out in support of a new system that abolishes
segregation. Martin Luther King Jr., was a famous civil rights activist who constantly spoke out
against racial inequality and segregation that disenfranchised many African-Americans. He
spoke constantly about a dream, that would allow every boy and girl regardless of color be
accessible to every and all rights in an equal manner. This was the America he envisioned, a
place where freedom reigned for all colors and creeds. In his most famous I Have a Dream
speech, he said Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise
from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the
time to life our nation from the quick-sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood
(King, 1963). It was his tenacity and rhetoric about racial injustice that rid the nation of equality,
that brought so many people together. His rhetoric caused millions to redirect their differences,
and to no longer judge individuals by their skin color but by their character. This dream of
equality illustrated the new American Dream, a dream where equality would overstretch the
mainstream divides and bring people together.
Although inequality was a major problem in Americas history for African-Americans,
women and gays were also at a disadvantage. However, women were able to vote after the 19th
Amendment was ratified to the U.S. Constitution. For years same-sex couples had fought
adamantly for the right nationwide that they could experience the same equality heterosexual
couples get. Many homosexual couples were denied the right to marry, and were also denied

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services for their wedding. Some caterers would deny to cater a homosexual wedding which
proved to be biased and unfair. However, President Obama identified the unconstitutional acts
and decided that he would do something to help. Over time, many campaigns were started to
help pass legislation to approve same-sex marriage throughout America. On Friday, June 26,
2015, the same-sex marriage movement won. The Supreme Court ruled for same-sex marriage.
They explained that marriage is a fundamental right that extends to same-sex couples (Hermann,
367). This was something millions of people dreamed of, the opportunity to have equality in
marriage. This explanation illustrates the reality of the American Dream.
When I began this essay, I wanted to discover the meaning behind the American Dream. I
always thought that the American Dream was simply concentrated on an individuals desire to
become rich, famous, and popular. I thought the main goal of the American Dream was to simply
get thousands of followers on Twitter, millions of likes on Facebook and Instagram, and millions
of dollars in the bank account. Instead, the American Dream is not centered around materialistic
things but around the idea that everyone has equal opportunity on an equal platform. To say two
persons are equal means that (1) they have each been measured by a stipulated standard of
measure, (2) their respective measures have been compared with one another, and (3) the
comparison shows their measures to be identical to one another (Westen, 843). The American
Dream has never been about materialistic desires, but it has been about the desire individuals
have to experience equality. Although America has had inequality in the past, it progresses to fix
those issues and to make sure that people are no longer judged prematurely but embraced despite
all differences.

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Annotated Bibliography

Belz, Herman. Liberty and Equality for Whom? How to Think Inclusively about the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The History Teacher. Vol. 25, No. 3. 1992. 263277.
Herman Belz is a Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Maryland, who has
written over 56 articles or chapters in books and 19 essay, having served as consultant to the
American Historical Associations Constitutional History. Belzs work has earned him that Albert
J. Beveridge Award of the American Historical association, and the appointment of National
Council on the Humanities in 2005. I can use this professors work to illustrate the inclusiveness
against African-Americans in the Bill of Rights.

Hermann, Donald H. J. "Extending The Fundamental Right of Marriage to Same-Sex Couples:

The United States Supreme Court Decision in Obergefell V. Hodges." Indiana Law
Review 49.2 (2016): 367-396. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
Donald H. J. Hermann has served as a United States Supreme Court Justice Fellow, and
was appointed to Law & Humanities Fellow at Harvard University, and Law & Economics
Fellow at the University of Chicago. Not only did he a doctoral study in Philosophy, he also
inaugurated the Health Law Institute in 1985. This Professors work on both rights and Supreme
Court cases can be related to his background as a law school professor. This will help me
determine the significance of the legal decision when confronting same-sex marriage.

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Lincoln, Abraham. Emancipation Proclamation." Washington, DC., 1863. Address.

The Emancipation Proclamation is a very credible and historical document, by a former
United States President. Abraham Lincoln is by far one of the nations most respected and
admired Presidents to ever take office. His Presidency set milestones in the freedom of slaves
and countless other acts of legislation. This address will serve well in my paper when identifying
the opportunity slaves had after they were freed.

King, Martin Luther. Martin Luther Kings Speech: I Have a Dream. December 1969.
Council on Foreign Relations. 25 November 2016.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a very accomplished individual. He was a Baptist minister
and a civil-rights activist who played a major role in ending segregation and the creation of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Dr. King is arguably one of the most
famous and influential civil rights leaders in American history. With this backstory, his work can
be used to establish the relationship between the American Dream and equality.

Moyer, Thomas J. "The Bill of Rights." Vital Speeches of the Day. Vol. 57, No. 12. 1991. 373375. Academic Search Complete. 28 November 2016.
Thomas Joseph Moyer was an American jurist and the chief justice of the Ohio Supreme
Court from 1987 to 2010. Prior to his appointment to the Ohio Supreme Court, Moyer served as
president of the Columbus Board of Education. While serving in that position, he was faced with
desegregation rights chronicled in the book Getting Around Brown. Using his work to contribute

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to my essay will help validate some points made. Not only is he an esteemed lawyer who
understands the law, but he served on Ohios Supreme Court where his job was to interpret the
law.

Westen, Peter. The Concept of Equal Opportunity. Ethics. Vol. 95, No. 4. 1985. 837850.
Peter Westen, a principal scholarly in the fields of criminal law and legal theory, is a very
distinguished man. He has earned his degrees from many prestigious colleges throughout
America. He also works in the Michigan Law faculty where he has been since 1973. I believe
that his work is more than credible, because he is a scholar who has been employed by a major
university. His research will have information that is extensively combed with a fine tooth comb.