poor subsidizing the rich: 1870-1914

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the US government systematically subsidized the wealthy to the detriment of the majority of the population. This occurred through a variety of measures, such as high tariffs that raised prices on consumer goods, the expansion of federal pension programs that disproportionately benefited well-off citizens, and generous tax breaks for the wealthy. These policies ultimately resulted in the wealthy accumulating increasingly larger amounts of wealth and power, while the middle and lower classes faced stagnating wages and greater levels of poverty. Furthermore, the wealthy also benefited from subsidies on certain agricultural products, such as cotton and tobacco, that solely benefited landowners and plantation owners at the expense of the public. As a result, the wealthy were able to maintain their privileged economic positions and extend their wealth, creating a wide economic gap between the rich and the rest of society.