California Dream

The California Dream is the belief in one's capacity to gain wealth or fame in a new land, namely the American state of California. Within California, the Dream has been used to evoke the concept of a state-wide ethos and purpose, especially in relation to the broader concept of the American Dream. California's history, location, and diverse economy have contributed to the Dream. Diverse perspectives have led to its use in rhetoric to both promote California and to criticize the policies of the state government in Sacramento.

Some argue that, as a result of the California gold rush after 1849, California's name became indelibly connected with image of an average man travelling to strike rich mining gold. According to this theory, the belief in rapid success after moving to a new area became known as the "California Dream". Others claim the concept did not emerge until the 1960s. Regardless of its specific origins, California came to be perceived as a place of new beginnings, where hard work and good luck would be rewarded by fame and fortune. California came to be seen as a lucky place, a land of opportunity and wealth. It was and is a powerful belief, as it draws from many of the state's accomplishments and promotes a sense of unity in the state's residents. Strong emotions tend to be raised when the Dream is threatened.

Historian H. W. Brands noted that in the years after the Gold Rush, the California Dream spread across the nation:

The old American Dream . . . was the dream of the Puritans, of Benjamin Franklin's "Poor Richard" . . . of men and women content to accumulate their modest fortunes a little at a time, year by year by year. The new dream was the dream of instant wealth, won in a twinkling by audacity and good luck. [This] golden dream . . . became a prominent part of the American psyche only after Sutter's Mill.

Overnight, California gained the international reputation as "The Golden State". In 1968, this became California's official nickname.