When the colonies declared independence, they didn’t just start a war—they launched an idea that would echo across centuries. But did America live up to it?

On May 10, 1869, two railroads met in the middle of nowhere—and changed the nation forever. The golden spike didn’t just finish a track. It launched a new era of expansion, innovation, and exploitation.

Wealth inequality in the United States has grown to levels that threaten the stability of the social and economic systems. How does this imbalance affect society as a whole, and what can be done to address it?