When you say “minimal federal interference” what exactly do you mean? Like private companies cleared the frontier, relocated natives, fought off British control (twice), built the Erie Canal, protected oil interests, kept shipping lanes clear of pirates, started a postal service, and built all other infrastructure while maintaining a slave trade that supplied free labor for everyone?
Discussion
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.
Incorrect, referees do not kill people or make plays. There was a lot of government capital funding things prior to 1913 which I listed.
I did not ask for “closer to real capitalism”. I asked for what you said “true capitalism”.
When did “true capitalism” exist?