Minimal interference means the government acted as a referee, not a player. Markets operated on hard money, private capital, and real risk.

It wasn’t a perfect era, morally or socially. But economically, it was closer to real capitalism than anything that came after.

You’re pointing to state functions that existed, but they didn’t control the market. Defending borders, enforcing contracts, and building infrastructure is not the same as setting prices, printing money, or bailing out failure.