uint4The American Dream.doc

The American Dream American Dream is the belief that everyone in the United States has the chance to achieve success and prosperity. For ordinary people, it means a happy family, an ideal job, and a nice house. For minorities and immigrants, it also includes freedom and equal rights. Immigrants Apart from “Native Americans” — Indians, all Americans have ancestors who were immigrants. The United States has become the home of I mmigrants from all over the world. Some immigrants come to the United States in search of a place to practice their religion freely, while others seek political or economic protection. Still others arrive in hopes of building a better life for themselves and their families. First Immigrants The first immigrants to America came almost from western Europe. During the first decades of the 17th century, settlers from England colonized Virginia and New England. Immigration to New England began in 1620 when English Puritans established Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts. The values of these Puritan settlers strongly influenced the culture of the American colonies and later of the United States. The Great Depression The Great Depression is considered the most severe economic crisis in the industrialized world. It began when American stock market fell on Friday, Oct. 24, 1929, and continued the following Tuesday, known as Black Tuesday, with a greater fall. The Depression struck many other countries as well, particularly Germany, Japan, and Britain. In the early 1930s millions of people lost their jobs, and millions of businesses and banks failed. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal policies improved the situation, but the Great Depression did not come to an end until World War II when industrial production for the war increased. I. Mortgage Mortgage is an agreement to have money lent, especially to buy a house or land, with the house or land belonging to the lender until the money is repaid. It enables a person to buy a house without