In the late 19^th and the early 20^th century, Americans joined their European counterparts in a quest, not just to hope for a better world, but to strive for a world where reason and humanism reigned. The philosophical ideals promoted and romanticized in Europe provided the energy for Americans to strive for a different kind of society. One that was more equitable; one in which citizens exercised their rights for self determination; and in which individual liberty was the center of gravity. That was American Dream put into words. More than any other single vehicle, literature was the means by which Americans breathed life into this Dream. Thomas Jefferson, the man credited with drafting the Declaration of Independence, was foremost among those that aimed to spread the philosophical ideals of liberty, self determination, and the pursuit of happiness. The American Dream of a more equitable society began to move from a thing dreamed of, to a thing worked toward.

One key feature that made the new American Dream so attractive was the component advocating the right of the individual to own property. It was a novel idea and a departure from the previous norm where the king was the virtual owner of everything in his kingdom. American Dream as an ideal that encouraged and promoted the unhindered accumulation of private wealth seemed very attractive. Writers willingly lent their voice to the new idea. The realization of those rights promoted under the ideals of reason and humanism was, however, not universally applicable. Ethnic, class and gender demarcations meant that the realization of American Dream had variable meanings for Americans of the 18^th century.

Let us see how literature played a role among the discordant voices that spoke to the actualization of the Dream. Phillis Wheatley was an example of an American whose ethnicity and gender hindered (if not prevented) from achieving her dreams –her full potentials. Though a published writer, Wheatley was not considered of the same status as her white male peers because Wheatley, for a significant portion of her life, was an enslaved black woman. Though most of Wheatley’s works were composed as personal letters to specific individuals, much can still be gleaned from the content of her work. Her letter to “The Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth,” is one example. Right Honorable William is identified as the “Secretary of State for North America,” among other titles. In this letter, Wheatley makes what appears to be an emotional appeal to this high government official. Wheatley asks The Right Honorable Williams to consider the plight of those long restrained in chains and whose grievances had long been ignored.:

The detailed circumstances of Wheatley’s sending this letter to The Right Honorable William may never be fully known. But what is not in doubt is that Wheatley was speaking the minds of many enslaved and oppressed people whose yearnings for freedom and dignity spoke to their ultimate American Dream.