[EyeGuy]

Right, that is why I said at least 100 years ago which would take us to BEFORE the date you cited as well as such downward ratcheting of the American ideal as Woodrow Wilson “progressivism” and FDR's numerous collectivist maneuvers.

Even so, America of even 50 years ago was MARKEDLY better than the nightmare ofRaceMarxism which is dominant in today's United States.

[muawiyah]

LBJ was in charge 50 years ago. You don't want more of that.

What you are looking for is the 1820s when Congress screwed everything up by deciding it was OK for immigrants to come to America.

That is nearly 200 years ago!

BTW, that period from 1870 to 1913 is just as bad as later.

I have some qualms about what Philippe II/III did by carving up North America with the Brits and French in 1604. Certainly the Swedish Empire and the Hapsburg "Empire" had quite enough people to fill up the interior without all those guys.

So, take your pick ~ 200 years back, or 400 years back ~ definitely a free'r country with boundless opportunity.