We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.         —The Declaration of Independence

                           
     endow  赋予
inalienable   不可剥夺的              

Puritans believed that everyone had a calling,which was given by God.The success of one's work  in his calling was a sign of being God's elect. Therefore,everyone must work hard, spend little and invest for more business.
puritan 清教徒

1、Equality


           All people are equal, both spiritually and in the opportunities they deserve. This includes differences in race, gender, disability, age, sexual preference and so on.
2、Individulism

Americans view themselves as highly individualistic in their thoughts and actions. They resist being thought of as representatives of any homogeneous group.
3.Hard Work

Hard work and striving is the key to success. The great American Dream of fame and fortune comes to those who work hard and never give up.

4、SELF-HELP INITIATIVE


Americans take credit only for what they accomplish as individuals. They get no credit for having been born into a rich family but pride themselves in having climbed the ladder of success, to whatever level, all by themselves.

Comparison between American values and Chinese values in several aspects
1.Chinese and Americans possess different values about success
Many Chinese people attribute their success to other’s help and cooperation. They get ahead with the help of their family background and friends.They seldom say that they succeed because of their own ability and hard work.  
Americans are more likely to express pride in themselves and their accomplishment rather than to express pride in their group, company, family or hometown. This is because they believe they achieve something mainly depending on their own efforts and ability and their position in life is the result of their own initiative.
2.  Relationship between parents and children varies from Chinese to Americans
Chinese parents regard their children as their
personal property that they can deal with in the way they like. Children will be punished or even beaten when they do not behave themselves. In the daily life, Chinese parents make almost all decisions for their children.  
     Americans treat their children as adults, who have a say in family affairs and have the right to decide how to deal with their personal affairs. Parents are not allowed to beat their children and the law forbids them to leave young kids alone at home as well.  
3.Chinese and Americans have different values of  family responsibility
In China, an important cultural value is filial piety. Traditionally Chinese children feel a lifelong obligation to their parents. Family responsibility takes priority over personal goals. All the members can depend on each other.
Americans value individualism and equality in a family.When children grow up, they are encouraged to move out of the house to handle everything by themselves. Americans do not want to live together with their children even though they are very old. So American parents do not concern too much about their children when they grow up.

filial piety
孝道