Obama s Speech The American Dream - 1923 Words

In 2006, U.S. senator Barack Obama stated in front of a large audience in New England,â€Å"It was right here, in the waters around us, where the American experiment began. As the earliest settlers arrived on the shores of Boston and Salem and Plymouth, they dreamed of building a City upon a Hill. And the world watched, waiting to see if this improbable idea called America would succeed.† John Winthrop’s original goal, manifested in Obama’s speech, was to build a city looked up upon by all others. This is what the American Dream is: wealth, fame, good education, equality, liberty, and freedom. The American Dream is not limited to Winthrop, nor did it begin with him. The dream starts even before the Puritans, back during the days of early†¦show more content†¦Starvation, mutiny, and attacks by natives kept the settlers on edge during the early years of the settlement. Smith’s leadership, especially his wit and intelligence with regard to the native s (such as urging colonists not to befriend them, but to keep them scared and propagating them with firearms), are the reason Jamestown still stood after four years. Smith’s impact on the colony was that the colony wasn’t in ruin, and the colonists had another day to live—not even counting how much freedom they held in this (relatively) unexplored land. John Smith inspired (through many exaggerated positive letters, to help with funding) a multitude of new settlers to make the treacherous journey to the new world, leading to the whole colony of Virginia to grow to eventually contain hundreds of settlers and over a thousand acres of land ownership. Despite the message and end goal of Smith’s legacy, the Dream is more shallow in some regards. Early colonists mailed positive letters back to England describing lush areas of green and plentiful amounts of gold. In Reality, the land was somewhat marshy and minerals were nowhere to be found. The question begs to be asked: did John Smith lead a dream of lies? Is the American Dream a myth, originally fabricated for funding four-hundred years ago? Any American with any sense of freedom must disagree. John Smith paved the way for a society with freedom as the main course. John Smith paved the way for aShow MoreRelatedJim Cullen s The American Dream965 Words   |  4 Pages What is the American Dream? Some describe the American Dream as a two parent family with two kids and a dog living in a home with a white picket fence. Others declare having millions of dollars and a beach home is the ultimate goal. So, what exactly is the American Dream? In the Conservative conference speech â€Å"We Will Be a City upon a Hill†, Ronald Reagan demanded that traditional values defined the American Dream while President Obama argued equality was quintessential. In both presidential speechesRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Obama s Victory Speech1181 Words   |  5 PagesObama’s Victory Speech Introduction: Barack Obama was re-elected as President of the U.S on November 6th, 2012. Barack Obama held his Victory Speech on the following day. This essay will analyze and comment on an excerpt of that exacting Victory Speech and the solution focus of the criticism will be on the Rhetorical belongings of the Speech. By using numerous forms of Rhetorical apparatus like Anaphora or Tautology, Barack Obama controls to offer a Speech that is full of American thoughts of lifeRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr s I Have A Dream Speech1480 Words   |  6 PagesAwakening national consciousness and bringing attention to the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr s I Have A Dream speech was broadcasted across the nation and heard by millions of Americans on August 28, 1963. Throughout the decades, many have promoted the importance of racial equality in America. Leaders such as William J. Clinton, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush have contributed to modern social movements by, doing as Dr. King himself, giving speeches to varying audiences concerningRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Barack Obama s Election National Convention Address1518 Words   |  7 PagesSpeech 1315-302 Rhetorical Analysis of Barack Obama 2004 Democratic National Convention Address In this paper, I choose the speech of the previous President, Barack Obama; Illinois state senator, his speech address to the 2004 Democratic National Convention marked an important moment in the trajectory of African American rhetoric. I am really impressive his speech because it was strong to affect to our emotion, our realizations and our passion for a strong America. The general theme of Barack ObamaRead MoreEssay on Analysis of Obamas Victory Speech831 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of Obama`s Victory Speech The presidential victory speech delivered by Barack Obama who is the president to be was held on November 4, 2008, in Grant Park, Chicago. It is about his won election for the office as the president. I will take a closer look on how Obama emphasizes his speech with stylistic devices. The speech is divided into four parts. The first part is from ll. 1-26, the second from ll. 27- 70, the third from ll. 71-9 and the last from ll. 95-105. In the first part of theRead MoreObama Speaks At The Dnc : American Family And The Need Of Clinton Essay1742 Words   |  7 PagesObama speaks at the DNC: American Family and the Need of Clinton It is that time of the year again where American politicians stand under the spotlight and appeal to the world’s attention. The Democrats gathered in Philadelphia together this night to support their party. Presidential candidate Hilary Clinton and her better half. Those who are on the Capitol Hill and surely, our standing President and the First Lady, Barack and Michelle Obama. It is of no surprise that the President speaks for hisRead MoreI Have A Dream By Martin Luther King Jr.915 Words   |  4 PagesOne man waves unto a crowd of over 100,000 people in front of the Lincoln Memorial prepared to give a speech that he did not know would lead to a different world, where one day a man from his own community would be the leader of that ‘free’ world. But not just any man – an African American man, as he is photographed and recorded by his Caucasian counterparts. Martin Luther King Jr. represents himself, his family, and an enormous body of minorities in Ameri ca as he prepares to address the countryRead MoreThe Crisis And World Economic Recession1089 Words   |  5 PagesDemocratic party. His name: Barack Obama, at the time no one had an incline as to what he would one day eventually become. Before his great speech no one assumed that he would be capable of aspiring above what his circumstances have put him in. In his speech, he showed his belief in one America and portrayed the fact that anyone can rise and live the American dream, he made this clear when he talked about his background and how he grew up making reference to his father s journey My father was a foreignRead MoreA More Perfect Union : The American Dream Essay1270 Words   |  6 PagesOn eighteen century America, the founding fathers classified the American Dream as an idea that everyone living in the United Stated had the chance to achieve the Jeffersonian idea of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. At the time the American Dream was supposedly possible to any one who had the willingness to work hard and honestly. To the founding father s anyone who would stand by this saying would either achieve success or be emulated for their efforts, even those who did not achieveRead MoreImmigration Reform : The United States1312 Words   |  6 Pagescitizenship and allowing their families to stay in the this country. Just last month, President Obama had a televised executive decision talking about immigration reform. President Obama discussed how the executive decisions like providing legal status and work permits for more than 5 million immigrants, making the Republicans very reluctant to help support President Obama’s executive decision. In President Obama speech, he talks about how â€Å"today, our immigration system is broken, and everybody knows it. Families