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What is a Horatio Alger story?

A Horatio Alger story is a rags-to-riches tale in which a person rises from poverty to wealth through sheer determination and good works. American Unitarian minister and author Horatio Alger Jr. (1832–1899) wrote more than one hundred novels portraying this theme, which also celebrated the possibility of fulfilling dreams in America. The novels proved to be wildly popular because Alger's presentation of the United States as a land of opportunity appealed to many readers.

Further Information: Horatio Alger Association. [Online] Available http://www.horatioalger.com/index.html, October 30, 2000.

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