Young 1 Rob Young Mr.

Doeblin AP Language and Composition 8 November 2011 A Conglomerate of Dreams I believe that the United States of America is a nation that has been forged by the intricate conglomeration of several million unique beliefs. America was conceived as a fiery and enticing idea by a group of daring and outspoken men in the British Colonies in 1776, who declared that the ...United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES.... These first concepts became the foundation of American ideals. America has continued to expand by the addition of new ideas since its fateful conception, and thus the United States is the sum of individual dreams and beliefs over time. For example, in 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and (mostly) freed the slaves. 100 years later, in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his nationally inspiring I Have a Dream speech. True, not every individual has made such an obvious impact on the entire nation. For example, the name Paul Reinhold Jobs probably does not carry the same significance as Abraham Lincoln. However, Paul Jobs was the adoptive father of Steve Jobs, and influenced Steves life in a way that led to Steves enormous impact on American technology. This is why the United States has been historically successful; it is not based on the rigid ideas of a single ruler, or even a party of rulers. The United States is built on the beliefs of millions of individuals. How could a nation possibly topple with such a strong base? And while a central core of beliefs has been maintained throughout the 235 years of its existence, the nation is reinvented daily according to the needs of its people. Yes, the nation is currently experiencing

Young 2 hardships, as it always has, but as long as its people are willing to imagine solutions, the United States will continue to thrive.