What did the American dream mean? From the narrow perspective, in the United States, people believed that, as long as make unremitting efforts and struggle, people could get a better life。 People must work through their own hard work, courage, creativity and determination to realize their own value, rather than relying on a particular social class and other assistance。 The American Dream was a national ethos of the United States in which freedom included the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work。