Title: Searching for the American Dream | HuffPost
Headings: Searching for the American Dream
Searching for the American Dream
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Content: If Jefferson defined the agrarian phase of the Dream then Horatio Alger defined the industrial phase. Alger turned out hundreds of books, all of them with the same premise: A young man who was down on his luck, but filed with optimism, would through hard work rise from the streets and gain middle class respectability. His characters rarely became rich, but they escaped poverty and became respected members of the new American middle class. It was a message that resonated with the millions of immigrants who came to America looking for opportunity and a better life: Work hard, live by the rules, and you will achieve the new American Dream. By the early 20th century, as Americans struggled with the consequences of industrialism and urbanization, there emerged the third phase of the Dream: The Roosevelt phase. The new urban and industrial America presented new challenges that could not be overcome by individual initiative. Cities were filthy and congested.