During the gilded age, wealthy businessmen believed that the federal government protected their right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” when it

They felt that the federal level of government helped them when it was used as a way of protecting their wealth. During the Gilded Age, the main theme of many of the wealthy entrepreneurs was that they were able to make money hand over fist on the backs of their workers without having to worry about strikes or disputes against their tactics, and many times, governmental regulations were passed in order to make this a reality.