I found the chapter titled, “Persons of Mean and Vile Condition” very interesting and very relevant to a point brought up in class on Monday. The chapter highlights the life of a servant and the lack of freedom they have that is, in theory “promised” to them. In class, the idea of the American dream was brought up. And shortly after the debunking of this theory, categorizing the American dream as bullshit. Zinn states that the large underclass of poor whites was made up of people who came to North America because their European home was eager to get rid of them. These people were brought over mostly as servants, to be sold, like slaves, for 5 or 7 year contracts. Upon arrival they were struck with the harsh reality that the colonies were nothing like what they were promised or for that matter, imagined.
While some servants made it out and somehow succeeded in owning land and following out their dream to a certain extent, many died or killed themselves due to the harsh conditions they faced everyday. My question then, is more broad…what really is the American dream and how has it shifted in meaning now in 2020? Is the American dream a real concept or just something made up by the English to rid their lands of these people they did not want? In addition to this, was Bacon’s Rebellion in vain and what did he do to shape the colonies and the lives of the frontiersmen?
Furthermore I find the persistent economic theme throughout both chapters very relevant today. Zinn mentions the idea of “levelling,” which was a call to equalize the wealth of the colonies. This is directly applicable in the United States now, almost 400 years later, as we face a large disparity in wealth distribution. In many ways the colonies, our past, directly relate to the future. While it may not seem like it, we are a lot more similar to our harsh, exclusive past than we would like to accept.
I do think that the American Dream is still around today however I believe that is has changed. Originally, the American Dream was to start a business and a family, while also making money and doing whatever it was that you loved. In modern times, I believe that the overall American Dream still exists but it has been altered slightly. Now I think that the American Dream is weighted more towards making a lot of money and is steering away from starting your own small business and doing what you want to do. I believe that this is the case solely because people are mostly focused on work and money more than the other aspects of their lives.
I actually had the same questions as you about “the American Dream.” It is amazing how often that phrase is used or tossed around without an actual definition of what the American Dream is or what it entails. You hear it when talking about fame or money, you hear it when talking about immigration, you hear it when talking about cookie cutter suburban life, and now we’re hearing about it in the sense of colonialism. It all makes me wonder: What is it? Where did it start? How has it changed?
I really liked how you related the reading to today’s world, as they are definitely similar, with class disparities as well as systemic racism. It is crazy to me that from the very beginning of the development of our country to 2020, some of the central things about our society have not changed- how is this even possible? It definitely concerns me for the future of our nation because if we have not gotten it right yet, will we ever?
I really like that you mentioned the american dream, because reading about it got me thinking. The american dream is such a coin phrase. But is it good or bad? It has created a false expectation for so many different groups of people. Yet, the American dream has inspired people, and given them the opportunity to find and work towards success.