reply to post by traditionaldrummer
We need to look no further than who owned the original 13 American Colonies, and British Imperialism.
The United States being founded as a British colony has combined the system of governance from the British influence with it's vast natural resources
of America to create an early export based economy.
Once The Indians were removed from the land, it was a proverbial free for all in accessing America's vast resources during the westward expansion
backed by British Investment.
The early Virginia plantations owned by the founding fathers created a tremendous amount of wealth in the cultivation of Virginia Tobacco taught to
the Europeans by the Native Americans IMA and exported to Europe.
The Tobacco industry was soon Followed by cotton which was also a very lucrative industry most of which was also exported to Britain.
Both industries and their subsequent profits, being heavily dependent upon Slave labor. For example, in 1803 alone, over 20,000 slaves were being
brought into Georgia and South Carolina to work in the cotton fields.
Prosperity was in abundance in that European markets created the demand for the goods produced in the United States at a low cost due to low cost of
land and slave labor.
Silver and Gold were later discovered in abundance in the west.
In fact the Comstock Lode was so rich in Silver, The US actually built a mint at it's source in nearby Carson City Nevada. Thus the "CC" mint mark
on on select Morgan Dollars minted in the 1860's.
California gained immediate "Statehood" soon after the discovery of Gold thus bypassing the normal Territorial Status (the normal path to statehood)
IMA.
This abundance in natural resources of America, free for the taking, fueled and created the financial foundation and fueled the Industrial Revolution,
the next stage in economic development for the United States.