The reasons for seeking the relative comfort of the United States of America are many; some do so to exploit economic benefits, others wish to escape oppressive government regimes, and so on. However, one overarching motivation encompasses each individual's attempt to call America home: the American Dream. Just as the reasons for establishing oneself as a citizen of the United States prove varied, the concepts of the American Dream have been equally unique to any individual or group. When the Mayflower, starring a lusty William Bradford, set sail in 1620, the large group of Puritans aboard the ship founded what is commonly considered the first American dream of freedom from religious persecution. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Later, when the colonies shed their British overlord to the sound of musket fire and began to truly materialize as the United States, of which Benjamin Franklin wrote an American dream that propelled the evolution of a nation ruler and sought to teach her young people to ensure that what she had helped create was left in capable hands. Bradford, throughout his work Of Plymouth Plantation, and Franklin, in his Autobiography, had fundamental differences in their respective representations of the American dream, such as its catalyst and relationship to religion. Yet the two proved undeniably similar in their leadership, as well as their thinking. all-encompassing message for the American dream. Considering their differences and similarities, both Bradford and Franklin prove to be profound and unparalleled in their contributions to early conceptions of the American Dream, paving the way for the melting pot we now know as the United States of America. first examine the historical context of William Bradford and Benjamin Franklin. Without this, their American dreams may make little sense. Bradford, a Puritan of the early 1600s, lived under the ever-tightening grip of the British Crown and foresaw an imminent seizure of power by Spain. Obviously, neither boded well for his group of “saints.” So, with the crown's blessing they fled to Holland and then to America aboard the Mayflower, facing a series of obstacles as time passed. Franklin, however, lived and worked in a very different situation. In the first part of his autobiography, Franklin lived in an America still under British rule, and was just beginning to sow the soil to plant the seeds of revolution. In parts 2 and 3, the revolution had ended and a sovereign nation was in power. initial stages of cohesion. Although Bradford and Franklin were obviously writing from quite different points in American history, it is clear that both were addressing the development of a nascent region and seeking to capture and then move their respective peoples toward the American dream. What sparked the American Dream for Bradford and his fellow Puritans is no great secret. At the beginning of Of Plymouth Plantation (Plymouth) he describes the value of the Puritans within English society as essentially hopeless, explaining that they "were hunted and persecuted on every side, just as their former afflictions were nothing but bites of fleas compared to those that now fell upon them” (123) Thus, religious freedom from the overbearing Anglican-fueled crown forced the Puritans to seek refuge in the first place, Bradford and company would only then turn your eyes toward the “countries of America, which are fruitful and fit to be inhabited, being devoid of all thecivilized inhabitants” (125), and thus the initial American Dream was born, driven by the desire to practice a reformed religion without oppression. After about a century, Franklin found solace in a different catalyst for his conception of the American Dream. Franklin gains the confidence to begin charting the American dream – in this case America's future as a sovereign nation – from pleas like that of Abel James, who writes in his letter: "The influence which the writings of that class have on minds of young people... Almost insensibly it leads young people to the decision to strive to become as good and eminent as the journalist" (527). Since it was this letter, along with another, that Franklin presents in his Autobiography, it is clear that they prompted him to edit the text written to his son. Rather, Franklin chose to address the American population, and especially the nation's youth, in order to convey his virtue and his industry-laden American dream. Steven Forde further attributes this motivation to Franklin, as he explains “that the serious mission of the Autobiography was nothing. less than the education of a new nation, using Franklin's life and mind as a model” (357). Thus, while Bradford conceived his American dream based on the religious need to establish a place of freedom for the Puritans, Franklin would later expose his version of the concept thanks to the solicitations of his counterparts, who convinced him that his work, built on his life and values, – would inspire the population, especially young people, to continually carry forward the Franklinian American dream. While what motivated Bradford and Franklin to achieve their individual American dreams was clearly different, the substance of said dreams proved similar in their detour. One important feature stands out blatantly: religion. Being a Puritan, in Bradford's mind the American dream revolved around religion. Often implicating biblical passages, as well as God in particular throughout Plymouth, Bradford sought to instruct "the lesson that subsequent generations might draw from his account of the pilgrim's safe passage into Plymouth. God assisted the Plymouth congregation... This statement that God works through history to ensure the triumph of his people…implies a sense of special destiny” (Daly 558) Religious statements of this kind are made in Plymouth, an example of this is when Bradford includes the. union entered into aboard the Mayflower before landing, with statements such as “having committed, for the glory of God, and the advancement of the Christian Faith… a voyage to found the first colony” (138). Thus, religion is not only the catalyst that pushed Bradford towards the American dream, but it is the main component of his own American dream. Franklin, however, proved to be the antithesis of Bradford's religious American dream. As a deist, Franklin believed in a divine power but did not appeal to such power to spur his American dream, explaining in the second part of his autobiography that, although he lived by some basic religious principles, "some of the dogmas of that persuasion", as the Eternal Decrees of God... appeared to me incomprehensible, others doubtful, and I soon absented myself from the public assemblies of the sect” (533). The contrast between the two first American dreams is palpable. As Bradford sought to establish freedom for his religion to practice without persecution – leading to his religious-tinged American Dream – Franklin worked to establish that, while important in the daily lives of many, religion was not, and did not need to be , a powerful force. within the American dream. Rather, since groups of peoplefrom a variety of different ethnic and religious backgrounds were settling in the United States, Franklin chose to simply touch on religion, because, while virtuous in some respects, religion would prove to be a volatile subject that does not necessarily have to encompass the American dream to the extent that Bradford did. While much consideration has been given to the contrast between Bradford and Franklin in terms of the American Dream, it is critical to recognize their similarities. First, Bradford and Franklin were both unparalleled leaders of their time, which allowed their versions of the American dream to circulate widely through their respective texts. Bradford, “Shortly after their arrival…he was elected governor. His duties entailed more than that title might imply today: he was chief judge and jury, supervised agriculture and commerce, and awarded allotments of land" (121). Being of such great importance to the first Americans, combined with the fact who was so deeply committed to the Puritan message, Bradford writes from a community-minded position of power Who better, in this era, to outline the early American dream than the man who led the Puritan effort for freedom. The simple answer is a nobody. As the figure who helped so much to found the first American colony, Bradford was able to effectively use his leadership to advance his American dream. Other than the fact that Franklin was a historically monumental genius, little differs in the sense of leadership. By placing Franklin in historical context, he proved to be “an obvious choice in [the] headlong search for icons” (Mulford 419). for his brain than for his leadership. Returning to the letters that Franklin presents in Part 2 of his Autobiography, Benjamin Vaughn implores Franklin that if he were to continue the work he would like, "to present a table of the internal circumstances of your country... And considering the eagerness with which such information is sought ... and the extent of your reputation, I know of no more effective advertisement than your Biography would provide" (527) . As a result, not only was Franklin a leader of the era, but his thoughts on topics such as the American Dream were also passionately desired. Corresponding in their leadership roles, Bradford and Franklin equivalently use their status to captivate their audiences, leading to effective presentations of their individual American dream. No resemblance between Bradford and Franklin comes across so easily as the pair's all-encompassing message of adversity. In the case of Bradford, Plymouth shows significant adversity throughout the text. This is easy to understand since the Puritans were trying to inhabit a place of which they had rather minimal knowledge. However, going further back in the text, Bradford uses the Puritans' time in Holland to demonstrate that any American dream of success begins with considerable difficulty. Since the group had been in Holland for a number of years, "several of them were taken away by death, and many others began to be greatly affected over the years, for the grave master Experience had taught them many things" ( 124). Among sick, dying and overworked people, Bradford's American dream was born. In his eyes, all these difficulties came from God's grace to show the group that perseverance was the only means to freedom. If the Puritans did not face and overcome their obstacles, Bradford's American Dream would not materialize. By comparison, Franklin's American Dream is realized through the same lens of adversity, but the scope is personal. 2016.