Over the hundreds of years of the development of America and its people, the characteristics and quality of the people and their surroundings have shifted. In each of the separate eras, there was always a unique experience and an unachievable American Dream. Whether it was a war, a crashing economy, slavery, or just pure bad luck, very few people were able to achieve the desired perfect life described as the American Dream. Only those who were rich enough and white enough and lucky enough were the ones who most often succeeded.
Even though it was virtually impossible the majority of people to achieve the dream of the time, it was still a necessary requirement for the development of the country as a whole. Without having something to strive for, people would have likely given up long ago and disintegrated into nothingness.