Inuzuka Skysword

No one would have been chained to anything if the government did its job. If anyone initiates force in the form of chaining someone to something that would be considered a crime. However, if it is in the contract that you agree to be chained and such, then it is not wrong because you agreed to it. The government didn't enforce common laws against the businesses because Social Darwinism was so big at the time. I don't believe sweatshops or any of the sort is wrong in any way. If someone agrees to work ten cents and hour and work long days, then they agree to it. What am I violating?

At the time of the industrial revolution there were many advances in technology. Compared to times that were less capitalist, there was a substantial amount. That is what I mean by prosperous. People were able to rise to the top if they played their cards right. It still wasn't really capitalist though because you still had slavery going on and taxes and such.

Now to answer the question above, government created monopolies:

There has never been laissez-faire capitalism. Every time a monopoly was created it is because the government favored businesses in some way. Look at today with the insurance companies. There are so many restrictions on small business insurance companies that no one can really enter or do anything. That is what I am talking about. Of course there are really no true monopolies that I know of today, but some come very close.

I am not against labor unions or anything like that. In fact, I am strongly for labor unions because they can check the power of large businesses that can become corrupt. However, labor unions back then decided to turn to violence as their answer. This ruined the credibility of labor unions at the time. Then they were banned, which is turn favored big business.