--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The American Dream may be slipping away…" description: "\"The American Dream may be slipping away. We have overcome such challenges before. To recover the Dream requires knowing where it came from, how it last..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/jon-meacham-2863_america_the-american-dream-may-be-slipping-away_1564727.png" --- # The American Dream may be slipping away. We have overcome… ![“The American Dream may be slipping away. We have overcome such challenges before. To recover the Dream requires knowing where it came from, how it lasted so long and why it matters so much.” quote by Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/jon-meacham-2863_america_the-american-dream-may-be-slipping-away_1564727.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/jon-meacham-2863_america_the-american-dream-may-be-slipping-away_1564727.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/jon-meacham-2863_america_the-american-dream-may-be-slipping-away_1564727.png) > “The American Dream may be slipping away. We have overcome such challenges before. To recover the Dream requires knowing where it came from, how it lasted so long and why it matters so much.” [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The American Dream is fading, but past resilience shows it can be restored by understanding its origins and significance. **In simple terms:** The Dream is slipping; we can restore it by learning its history. Key Takeaway Study history to rebuild the Dream. Themes history resilience national identity economics hope Mood reflective determined optimistic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - policy making - education - community activism - public discourse Key Concepts Americanism social contract collective memory Questions to Reflect On - What lessons from history can guide today’s recovery? - How can individuals contribute to reviving the Dream? A Different Perspective Challenges include political polarization and economic inequality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [American dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-dream/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) ## Related quotes > [I see that that 'American dream' is slipping away because we're not solving the problems of today, we're not planning for the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-messam/i-see-that-that-american-dream-is-slipping-away-because-we-re-not/) [Wayne Messam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-messam/) > [“Everybody dreams about being harmed. It’s easy. Much tougher to recover from the dream of harming…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/everybody-dreams-about-being-harmed-it-s-easy-much-tougher-to-recover/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“The most difficult thing you can ever feel, is seeing your life dream slipping between your fingers !!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahma-m-agha/the-most-difficult-thing-you-can-ever-feel-is-seeing-your-life-dream/) [Rahma M.Agha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahma-m-agha/) > [Im a farmer. I always will be a farmer. When I die, Ill be a farmer. Its something that Ive wanted to do since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-tester/im-a-farmer-i-always-will-be-a-farmer-when-i-die-ill-be-a-farmer-its/) [Jon Tester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-tester/) > [Some people drift through their entire life. They do it one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/some-people-drift-through-their-entire-life-they-do-it-one-day-at-a/) [Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/) > [Mostly I've just been stealing little moments for myself in order to write - in the bathroom at a hotel, or just slipping away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrianne-lenker/mostly-i-ve-just-been-stealing-little-moments-for-myself-in-order-to/) [Adrianne Lenker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrianne-lenker/) > [“In the beginning, she had hauted me, haunted my dreams, but even now, just weeks later, she was slipping away, falling apart in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/in-the-beginning-she-had-hauted-me-haunted-my-dreams-but-even-now/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“She stared at her face in the mirror, feeling everything around her slipping away. The face stared back, and she wondered who was looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-derouen/she-stared-at-her-face-in-the-mirror-feeling-everything-around-her/) [Joe DeRouen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-derouen/) > [Ever have that feeling that an old friendship is slipping away...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ever-have-that-feeling-that-an-old-friendship-is-slipping-away/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [He was only twenty-five.He was young enough to miss his youth just as it was slipping away. The worst kind of loss-the one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-forrest/he-was-only-twenty-five-he-was-young-enough-to-miss-his-youth-just-as/) [Emma Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-forrest/) > [The frustrating part is knowing that you've done it before, knowing that you can play, but then your game starts going down the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-fleetwood/the-frustrating-part-is-knowing-that-you-ve-done-it-before-knowing/) [Tommy Fleetwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-fleetwood/) > [There is a reason people in America are disappointed and restless. If opportunity seems like it's been slipping away, that's because it has. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/there-is-a-reason-people-in-america-are-disappointed-and-restless-if/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [“Some loves are like the tide. Like water washing over you then slipping through your fingers. They come and they go. They come and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mcgahan/some-loves-are-like-the-tide-like-water-washing-over-you-then/) [Kate McGahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mcgahan/) > [Can you spend a little time, time is slipping away. Away from us so stay, stay with me I can make. Make you glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-wanted/can-you-spend-a-little-time-time-is-slipping-away-away-from-us-so/) [The Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-wanted/) > [I am always in a rush because time is slipping away, and I am chasing it, chasing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dev-anand/i-am-always-in-a-rush-because-time-is-slipping-away-and-i-am-chasing/) [Dev Anand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dev-anand/) ## More by Jon Meacham > [Scripture is not inerrant; believers are called to interpret biblical texts in light of tradition and reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/scripture-is-not-inerrant-believers-are-called-to-interpret-biblical/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [As a southerner born after the epic events of the civil rights movement, I've always wondered how on earth people of good will could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/as-a-southerner-born-after-the-epic-events-of-the-civil-rights/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [We are now living in a post-Roosevelt, post-Reagan universe. What comes next will not be post-partisan, because faction is an intrinsic human impulse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/we-are-now-living-in-a-post-roosevelt-post-reagan-universe-what-comes/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“his other hand. Sensitive to his guest’s affliction, Churchill realized that “every step” was”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/his-other-hand-sensitive-to-his-guest-s-affliction-churchill-realized/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [Too many activists have convinced themselves that they have a monopoly on truth. A little humility and a sense of history could move us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/too-many-activists-have-convinced-themselves-that-they-have-a/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [In the fullness of time, I suspect that bigotry against homosexuals will seem as repugnant as racial prejudice does today. Or so one hopes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/in-the-fullness-of-time-i-suspect-that-bigotry-against-homosexuals/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [Mysteries and thrillers are not the same things, though they are literary siblings. Roughly put, I would say the distinction is that mysteries emphasize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/mysteries-and-thrillers-are-not-the-same-things-though-they-are/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“When Lincoln was running for the House of Representatives from Illinois, he was charged with being “a scoffer at religion,” wrote the historian William…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/when-lincoln-was-running-for-the-house-of-representatives-from/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“The Man who has not Music in his Soul, Or is not touch’d with Concord of sweet Sounds, Is fit for Treason, Stratagems, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-man-who-has-not-music-in-his-soul-or-is-not-touch-d-with-concord/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [I am an Episcopalian who takes the faith of my fathers seriously, and I would, I think, be disheartened if my own young children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/i-am-an-episcopalian-who-takes-the-faith-of-my-fathers-seriously-and/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [Only the most unapologetic biblical fundamentalists, for instance, take every biblical injunction literally. If we all took all scripture at the same level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/only-the-most-unapologetic-biblical-fundamentalists-for-instance-take/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“There was, of course, a more immediate point to frequent gatherings of lawmakers, diplomats, and cabinet officers at the president’s table. It tends to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/there-was-of-course-a-more-immediate-point-to-frequent-gatherings-of/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“For Jefferson, William and Mary was largely about what university life is supposed to be about: reading books, enjoying the company of like-minded, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/for-jefferson-william-and-mary-was-largely-about-what-university-life/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [One wonders whether the Obama re-election campaign may be on the right track as it seeks to apply the you-break-it-you-own-it rule to Bush and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/one-wonders-whether-the-obama-re-election-campaign-may-be-on-the/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [Reagan is the Republican FDR, an exemplar of presidential greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/reagan-is-the-republican-fdr-an-exemplar-of-presidential-greatness/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) [Explore all 146 Jon Meacham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The American Dream may be slipping away. We have overcome such challenges before. To recover the Dream requires knowing where it came from, how it lasted so long and why it matters so much.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Meacham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-american-dream-may-be-slipping-away-we-have-overcome-such/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-american-dream-may-be-slipping-away-we-have-overcome-such/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/jon-meacham-2863_america_the-american-dream-may-be-slipping-away_1564727.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/jon-meacham-2863_america_the-american-dream-may-be-slipping-away_1564727.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/jon-meacham-2863_america_the-american-dream-may-be-slipping-away_1564727.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The American Dream may be slipping away. We have overcome such challenges before. To recover the Dream…” — Jon Meacham", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jon Meacham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The American Dream may be slipping...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-american-dream-may-be-slipping-away-we-have-overcome-such/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-american-dream-may-be-slipping-away-we-have-overcome-such/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```