The Declaration of Independence declares that, "We hold these 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 Happiness" (Declaration of Independence). Everyone has dreams that they desire to establish into reality as we live in this land with liberty flowing through its veins. Every individual imagines a life of success and happiness with no worries and all wants fulfilled. This is what most people recognize as the American Dream. The official national dream is unique because there is no dream like it. There is no existence of a Canadian Dream or Russian Dream. The America Dream is very nationalistic and there are different versions among different people and eras. Most people think of the American Dream in terms of the positive side and it does indeed have a positive side. However, most people are oblivious to the "dark side" of the American Dream and this also needs to be considered.
During the 1870's until the early 1900's, the Gilded Age helped pedestal the young immigrant who worked long hours in a bobbin factory into becoming the entrepreneur. Andrew Carnegie and his contributions were significant to America. During this era, the American Dream was to have the pursuit of happiness as a result of hard work and ambition. Andrew worked hard and acted on his ambitions as he built his first powerhouse steel plant on the shores of the Monongahela River outside of Pittsburg to construct his dream into reality. Carnegie became the wealthiest man in the world by introducing innovative new methods of production and delivery of steel. After his rise to fulfilling the American Dream, he shared his fortunes, specifically 90%, through generous philanthropy. (Werbel) In contrast, the he also lives out the shadowy side of the American Dream.
