The United States, as It Began Its Long and Successful

Essay

The United States, as it began its long and successful growth in the early 19th century, consciously promoted domestic production through such activities as tariffs, Clay's American System, and many direct subsidies to railroads, canal companies, farmers (free land) etc. Today we view this blatant example of large scale and extensive import-substitution industrialization as having been very successful. Comment on this.