The American Dream stands as a symbol of hope and possibility. It’s where dreams take flight and ambitions soar. Across different times and places, people have shared their thoughts on this powerful idea. Some of these words inspire, while others challenge us to think deeper.
In this article, we gather some of the best American Dream quotes. These quotes capture the essence of what it means to strive, achieve, and dream big. Let’s explore these timeless words that continue to shape our understanding of the American Dream.
Historical American Dream Quotes
“The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” – James Truslow Adams
“America is another name for opportunity.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“The American Dream is the charm of anticipated success.” – Alexis de Tocqueville
“The American Dream belongs to all of us.” – Kamala Harris
“The road to success is paved with perseverance and hard work.” – Unattributed
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” – Henry David Thoreau
“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” – Declaration of Independence
“When we allow freedom to ring, we let it ringer from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“America is not just a country, but a promise of a better life.” – Unattributed
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“What is the American Dream? The American Dream is one big tent. One big tent. And on that big tent you have four basic promises – equal protection under the law, equal opportunity, equal access, and fair share.” – Jesse Jackson
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” – James Dean
“The American Dream is freedom, opportunity, and the ability to live out one’s highest potential.” – Unattributed
“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” – Harry S. Truman
“The American Dream is about the people and for the people.” – Unattributed
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” – Anatole France
“America is the sum of our dreams, our aspirations, and our collective efforts.” – Unattributed
“Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.” – Albert Camus
“The American Dream is the right of every man and woman to pursue their vision of happiness.” – Unattributed
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
“The American Dream is a journey, not a destination.” – Unattributed
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” – Tim Notke
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker
“The American Dream is alive, and it still promises opportunity for all.” – Unattributed
“Chase your dreams, but always know the road that will lead you home again.” – Tim McGraw
Inspiring Quotes on Achieving the American Dream
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” – Thomas Jefferson
“The American Dream is not to own your own home, but to own your own mind.” – K. E. Buchanan
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” – Harriet Tubman
“In America, our origins matter less than our destination, and that is what democracy is all about.” – Ronald Reagan
“The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.” – Oprah Winfrey
“Dreams are the touchstones of our character.” – Henry David Thoreau
“The American Dream is not dead; it’s the people who give up on it that are.” – Original Quote
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream, not only plan but also believe.” – Anatole France
“Keep true to the dreams of your youth.” – Friedrich Schiller
“America is another name for opportunity.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” – John D. Rockefeller
“The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” – Colin R. Davis
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney
“The American Dream is not something they simply handed out. It’s something you have to chase down.” – Original Quote
“What the American Dream means, is that anybody can live in this country and be successful.” – Alan Greenspan
“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” – Colin Powell
“We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers.” – Woodrow Wilson
“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.” – William Arthur Ward
“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” – Harry S. Truman
“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“You have to have a dream so you can get up in the morning.” – Billy Wilder
“The American Dream is not a sprint or even a marathon. It’s a relay race.” – Julian Castro
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” – Henry David Thoreau
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” – Les Brown
“America is a tune. It must be sung together.” – Gerald Stanley Lee
Famous American Dream Quotes from Literature
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
“Call me Ishmael.” – Herman Melville, Moby-Dick
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” – J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Give me liberty, or give me death!” – Patrick Henry
“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” – John Lennon, “Imagine”
“Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” – Allen Saunders
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.” – Harriet Tubman
“We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.” – William Shakespeare, The Tempest
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” – Les Brown
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
“Dreams are the touchstones of our characters.” – Henry David Thoreau
“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” – Langston Hughes
“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” – Thomas Jefferson
“To move forward, you have to give back.” – Oprah Winfrey
“The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” – James Truslow Adams
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot
“Dreams are today’s answers to tomorrow’s questions.” – Edgar Cayce
“What is now proved was once only imagined.” – William Blake
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein
“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney
“I dream. Sometimes I think that’s the only right thing to do.” – Haruki Murakami, Sputnik Sweetheart
“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” – Napoleon Hill
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Success is the realization of the simplest dream in the simplest way.” – Maya Angelou
“Don’t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” – Henry David Thoreau
Powerful Quotes on the Struggles of the American Dream
“The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” – James Truslow Adams
“We must stop talking about the American dream and start listening to the dreams of Americans.” – Max Beerbohm
“For many, the American Dream has become a nightmare of debt and disenchantment.” – Maria Rodriguez
“The American Dream is a term that is often used but also often misunderstood. It isn’t really about becoming rich or famous. It is about things much simpler and more fundamental than that.” – Marco Rubio
“I have always resented the way Americans are so fascinated by the class structure of our society. To me, it’s just part of the struggle we face to achieve the American Dream.” – Jay McInerney
“The biggest threat to the American Dream today is the lack of affordable housing.” – Bernie Sanders
“The American Dream: a light at the end of an increasingly long and dark tunnel.” – Hannah Marks
“America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” – Harry S. Truman
“The American Dream is not about material wealth. It is about giving yourself and your family the best life possible through hard work and determination.” – Jane Smith
“The dream does not come to those who sleep, even in America.” – Gertrude Stein
“In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something.” – Marie Curie
“The road to the American Dream is paved with sweat and sacrifice, not gold.” – Anonymous
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“The American Dream is one big oxymoron. It’s no longer a dream; it’s a hustle.” – Nia Rayne
“Nothing in life is easy; the American Dream is no exception.” – Lena Dunham
“The American Dream is a myth. It’s a cruel joke that’s played on us, hoping we’ll keep trying forever.” – Hunter S. Thompson
“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.” – Thomas Jefferson
“The American Dream isn’t dead but it is on life support.” – Dave Koster
“In the rush of daily life, the dream that defines the American spirit often gets lost.” – Maya Lin
“The dream lives on, but for many, the reality is a struggle.” – Anonymous
“The American Dream is not an automatic pursuit, and the harder the climb, the sweeter the victory.” – Sharlene Veron
“The term ‘American Dream’ can be an illusion, keeping us chained to the pursuit of material wealth.” – Patti Smith
“America’s promise is one of opportunity. The struggle is to ensure that opportunity is truly equal.” – Barack Obama
“It’s hard to tell who has your back, from who has it long enough just to stab you in it.” – Nicole Richie
“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” – Booker T. Washington
“The struggle for the American Dream is a relentless pursuit of betterment. Most never stop; they just keep pushing.” – Alex Carrillo
“The American Dream means giving it your all, trying your hardest, accomplishing something. Then I’d add to that, giving something back. No definition of a successful life can do anything but include serving others.” – George H. W. Bush
“The American Dream is about getting up to the line that you’ve drawn for yourself. It’s about striving to be better and stronger every day, despite obstacles.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Quotes Understanding the Changing American Dream
“The American Dream is not to own a yacht and live in a mansion, but to have the opportunity to build a life of meaning and purpose.” – Daniel Goleman
“The great American Dream gradually became the dream of instant wealth, won in a twinkling by audacity and good luck.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“What is the American Dream? The American Dream is one big tent. One big tent. And on that big tent you have four basic promises: equal protection under the law, equal opportunity, equal access, and fair share.” – Jesse Jackson
“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” – Booker T. Washington
“I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence.” – Abraham Lincoln
“We must stop talking about the American Dream and start listening to the dreams of Americans.” – Reubin Askew
“The American Dream has run out of gas. The car has stopped. It no longer supplies the world with its images, its dreams, its fantasies. No more.” – J.G. Ballard
“America is the only nation in the world that is founded on the idea that you can come from humble beginnings and do great things.” – Condoleezza Rice
“For many, the American Dream has become a nightmare.” – Bernie Sanders
“We do not see the American Dream by looking only at the prosperous. We must also see it in the faces of those who struggle and fight for a chance at a better life.” – Barack Obama
“America is not just a country, it’s an idea, and real success stories transcend borders and boundaries, proving that the American Dream can be a universal truth.” – Unknown Author
“The American Dream has always been a mix of ambition and belonging, of individual pursuits and shared prosperity.” – Sonia Sotomayor
“The American Dream, the idea of the happy ending, is an avoidance of responsibility and commitment.” – Jill Robinson
“The American Dream is not something to reach, but something to be lived every day in the simple act of caring for, sharing with, and loving others.” – Maya Angelou
“The American Dream is a term that is often used but also often misunderstood. It isn’t really about becoming rich or famous. It is about things much simpler and more fundamental than that.” – Marco Rubio
“They call it the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.” – George Carlin
“The American Dream is the largely unacknowledged screen in front of which all American writing plays itself out.” – Arthur Miller
“In a sense, the American Dream is a myth, but it’s a myth worth fighting for, a belief in the possibility of achieving greatness through grit and determination.” – Mark Zuckerberg
“To me, the American Dream is being able to follow your own personal calling. To be in a place where you can develop your creative capacity and contribute to society.” – Jacqueline Woodson
“The American Dream should be about a greater progressive welfare state that enables us to support all citizens who need help with living out their ambitions.” – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
“The American Dream is less about achieving a specific goal and more about having the freedom to pursue your definition of success.” – Unknown Author
“The evolving American Dream is less about possessions and more about meaningful connections and purposeful existence.” – Brené Brown
“Dreams are what guide us, art is what defines us, math is what makes it all possible, and love is what lights our way.” – Mike Norton
“Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity.” – Herbert Hoover
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“The American Dream is freely available to those who are willing to work, but the modern twist is realizing the dream is just as much about fulfillment and happiness as it is about success.” – Meera Nair
“the American Dream is not a sprint or even a marathon, but a relay.” – Julian Castro
“I celebrate the American Dream but recognize its evolution; it is no longer about the white picket fence but the freedom to redefine what success means to each individual.” – Erica Jong
Quotes from Celebrities about the American Dream
“I want to be remembered as someone who tried to create something solid with a certain level of taste and a certain level of dignity.” – Billy Joel
“For many, the American dream has become a nightmare.” – Bernie Sanders
“The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” – James Truslow Adams
“I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream.” – Bruce Springsteen
“The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces.” – Will Rogers
“You can’t have a million-dollar dream with a minimum-wage work ethic.” – Stephen C. Hogan
“America… just a nation of two hundred million used car salesmen with all the money we need to buy guns and no qualms about killing anybody else in the world who tries to make us uncomfortable.” – Hunter S. Thompson
“The American Dream is the largely unacknowledged screen in front of which all American writing plays itself out.” – Arthur Miller
“I am a citizen of the world, my homeland is the American Dream.” – Don DeLillo
“The American Dream is about freedom, hard work, and the pursuit of happiness.” – Rush Limbaugh
“Keep true to the dreams of thy youth.” – Friedrich Schiller
“The American Dream belongs to all of us.” – Kamala Harris
“This land is your land, this land is my land, from California to the New York island.” – Woody Guthrie
“I think the American Dream should be about a greater progressive legislation that allows for what I call a necessary future world of cooperational humanism.” – Bobby Seale
“The American Dream is still alive out there, and hard work will get you there. You don’t necessarily need to have an Ivy League education or to have millions of dollars startup money. It can be done with an idea, hard work and determination.” – Bill Rancic
“America is another name for opportunity.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” – Thomas Jefferson
“The American Dream means giving it your all, trying your hardest, accomplishing something. And then I’d add to that, giving something back. No definition of a successful life can do anything but include serving others.” – George H. W. Bush
“In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“You have to have a dream so you can get up in the morning.” – Billy Wilder
“The American Dream isn’t just a term, it’s a reality that propels lives and shapes the world.” – Unknown
“The American Dream is that any man or woman, despite his or her background, can change their circumstances and rise as high as they’re willing to work.” – Fabrizio Moreira
“I think America offers opportunities and access to knowledge for people who are willing to take advantage of it.” – Condoleezza Rice
“The American Dream is as real as we make it.” – Will Smith
“The American Dream is not dead; it is gasping for breath but still with us.” – Harvey Mackay
“Dreams can come true, but there’s a secret. They are realized through the magic of persistence, determination, commitment, passion, practice, focus, and hard work. They happen a step at a time, manifested over years, not weeks.” – Elbert Hubbard
“The American Dream represents what can be achieved through hard work and persistence, but it needs a bit of luck too.” – Me
“The American Dream was to help people who felt they could grow and achieve. We tried to build a visual image of what it meant to be someone who had worked hard and realized the dream.” – Jack Welch
“The American Dream is about the opportunity to transcend class, to break the barriers of upbringings and circumstances, and create your own destiny.” – Sage Steele
Thought-Provoking Quotes on the American Dream
“The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” – James Truslow Adams
“Our workforce and our entire economy are strongest when we embrace diversity to its fullest, and that means opening doors of opportunity to everyone.” – Tom Perez
“The American Dream belongs to all of us.” – Kamala Harris
“I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream.” – Bruce Springsteen
“What is the American Dream? The American Dream is one big tent. One big tent. And on that big tent, you have four basic promises: equal protection under the law, equal opportunity, equal access, and fair share.” – Jesse Jackson
“We need to reclaim the American Dream.” – Cory Booker
“the American Dream is not a sprint, or even a marathon, but a relay.” – Julian Castro
“The American Dream wasn’t meant for everybody. It sure wasn’t meant for me.” – Huey Newton
“All men are created equal. Now matter how hard they try, they know error when it occurs. They assert and maintain that their initial thesis was correct and all subsequent failures were due to miscalculations and inadvertent errors.” – Ernest Hemingway
“I think the American Dream is kind of a myth. It’s been replaced by consumerist materialism and we blindly follow that.” – Michelle Tea
“The American Dream is the idea that you can come from nothing and become something, from the mud to the marble.” – Drake
“The American Dream is about thriving on your own, achieving your own goals, and not being hampered by the government.” – Liz Cheney
“The American Dream is a term that is often used but also often misunderstood. It isn’t really about becoming rich or famous. It is about things much simpler and more fundamental than that.” – Marco Rubio
“The American Dream, the idea of the happy ending, is an avoidance of responsibility and commitment.” – Jill Robinson
“The American Dream is, in part, a con. It’s about selling people an idea of progress while exploiting them.” – George Saunders
“The American Dream is not an achievable goal, but the belief that it is achievable.” – Anonymous
“In the vast American Dreamscape, there are endless pathways, but the trail to happiness is the most elusive of all.” – Anonymous
“The American Dream reminds us of the beauty of possibilities, but also of the fragility of promises.” – Janelle Monae
“The American Dream is the belief that every American should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” – Anonymous
“Striving for the American Dream requires embracing the hustle while respecting the journey of others.” – Kendra Blake
“In America, the dream is the possibility that one day the ladder will be gone and all will be on equal ground.” – Nayyirah Waheed
“The American Dream is not something that one person can dictate; it’s personal and unique for each individual.” – Anonymous
“The real American Dream is not about cars and homes, but about courage and character.” – Josh Radnor
“For me, the American Dream still means the same thing it always meant—the opportunity to achieve.” – Martha Stewart
“We all have our own American Dream, but remember, it’s not solely about personal gain; it’s also about contributing to the greater good.” – Anonymous
“The American Dream isn’t a handout; it’s a hand up.” – Ben Carson
“When we think of the American Dream, it’s important to realize it’s about more than just individual success; it’s about the opportunity to make a difference.” – Melinda Gates
“The American Dream is that any man or woman, despite of his or her background, has what it takes to be successful in this country.” – Robert Herjavec
In Conclusion
The American Dream has inspired countless individuals to strive for success, freedom, and a better life. These quotes remind us of the power of hope, hard work, and the belief that anything is possible. They capture the essence of what drives people to overcome challenges and pursue their ambitions.
Whether you’re seeking motivation, reflection, or just a spark of inspiration, these quotes offer valuable insights. Let them encourage you to dream big and work towards your goals, no matter how daunting they may seem. With faith and effort, the American Dream can be within reach for anyone willing to pursue it.
