Americans reinvented the “American Dream” of seeking opportunities and
obtaining financial wealth and retitled it the “California Dream.” While the
American Dream is celebrated as being a new found method for immigrants to escape
the financial imprisonment of the English Government and a way to capitalize on
opportunities for education advancement, land ownership and freedom, the
California Dream is erroneously labeled as being solely about materialistic desires
and ambitions. Those who ventured to the new land of California sought very
similar opportunities of wealth, land and freedom.
Freedom from racial or ethnic prejudice also motivated settlers in
California just as the settlers shifted to American. African Americans ventured
to the new land in search of racial autonomy. While the bigotry was not exempt
in California, African Americas had a greater opportunity at acceptance.
Between the years of 1860 and 1960 the population in California soared
due to the legendary Gold Rush. Innumerable Americans flocked to the Golden
State in search of nuggets of potential. “The prospect of seemingly effortless
riches led Americans to move mountains in pursuit of the dream.”[i] As eloquently stated
by The American Dream author, Jim Cullen, “the California gold rush is the
purest expression if the Dream of the Coast in American history.”[ii] The gold rush was an
expression of the dream because it was an illusionary prospect of fame and
riches that was only discovered by a few but sought after by the masses. Similar
to their ancestors traveling from foreign land, Americans hoping to gain wealth
packed up their life on the East and moved to the Coastal frontier.
The initiation and expansion of the railroads brought another similar
aspect between the American and California Dreams, the ability to own land.
While the American dream did produce on the promise to own land, the California
dream intensified that promise by offering land in warm climates and beautiful
landscapes. Even the threats of earthquakes could not stop Americans from
wanting to leave the cold flat lands of the East for the coastal views and rolling
hills of the West. Farmers were captivated by the potential of plant multiple
crops a season as had been achieved by some aggressive businessmen. As with the
other aspects of the California Dream, the enticement was the possibility of gaining
much while sacrificing or working little.
With the introduction of car ownership, the natural instinct of the
American culture to be materialistic was cultivated and ultimately matured. Americans
began to shape their identity around what type of vehicle they owned and even
made strenuous sacrifices to maintain the ownership of their vehicle. This
habit was conveyed to the current American culture where the idea of purchasing
a car outside of one’s means or leasing a car to obtain quickly what one does
not want to save for is a predominate approach for owning a car.
It should be no surprise that the
California Dream was inclusive of material attainment since the foundation of
America involved the same priorities. The American culture was founded on
principles of material threshold and that principle has been woven into our
culture and our values intrinsically. As a California native having lived in
more than 15 cities throughout, I sincerely love this state and could not see
myself living anywhere else. I am lured by the same characteristics of
beautiful weather, great land and financial opportunities. I wholeheartedly
agree with every love song written for the state and I can only hope we learn
to preserve the land and manage the state’s resources responsibly so the beauty
and potential of the state can forever remain.
For additional information regarding the California Gold Rush: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np6DaUtrM-Q&feature=youtu.be
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