From Gilded Age Titans to Silicon Valley Moguls: A History of America's Anti-Equalitarian Tradition

In a new book, historian Kim Phillips-Fein examines

In a new book, historian Kim Phillips-Fein examines the persistent undercurrent of anti-egalitarianism in American history, tracing a lineage from the nation's founders to today's tech billionaires. Titled "Country of Lords," the work challenges the celebratory narrative surrounding the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which famously proclaims that "all men are created equal."

Phillips-Fein's narrative focuses on a series of influential figures who have, in various ways, sought to undermine or reinterpret the principle of equality. She begins with John Adams, who harbored deep anxieties about democracy and favored a political system that would, in her view, elevate a natural aristocracy. The book then moves through the Social Darwinists of the late 19th century, who used a distorted reading of evolutionary biology to justify vast economic disparities as the natural order of things.

The thread continues into the modern era, where Phillips-Fein finds a new breed of aristocrat in the tech utopians of Silicon Valley. Figures like Peter Thiel and Elon Musk, she argues, embody a renewed faith in hierarchy, whether through their advocacy for seasteading, their libertarian politics, or the sheer concentration of wealth that threatens to create a new form of oligarchy.

The book's publication comes at a moment when

The book's publication comes at a moment when the gap between the rich and poor is starkly visible. Phillips-Fein notes that Musk's ascent to trillionaire status has sparked widespread unease, a mix of fear and anger about what such immense personal fortunes portend for democracy and social cohesion. Her concise and forceful analysis offers a historical framework for understanding these contemporary anxieties.

"Country of Lords" is not merely a chronicle of powerful men, but an argument that the conflict over equality is a central, ongoing drama in American life. By excavating these forgotten or overlooked traditions of thought, Phillips-Fein provides a vital context for today's political and economic struggles, reminding readers that the fight for a more equal society is a perennial one.