"Although the economic growth of the United States between 1860 and 1900 has been attributed to a governmental policy of laissez-faire, it was in fact encouraged and sustained by direct government intervention." Assess the validity of this statement.

You can start by studying this article. Then do further research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_history_of_the_United_States#The_Gilded_Age:_1865.E2.80.931900

It only talked about how technologies and raw materials contributed to the economical growth, but I'm having trouble with actually how to link those ideas to the actually question.

Since technologies and raw materials contributed to the economic growth, doesn't that show that direct government intervention didn't play a major role?

But didn't the government regulated the transcontinental railroads, which transported raw materials? and also the Federal land grants?

It regulated them, but was the growth sustained by the government?

If your answer is yes, then you must agree with the statement.

So all I need to state why my argument is right, and don't have to include why the counter-argument is wrong...?

I think I'm making this more difficult than it should be.

I know i'm a year late but you can talk about how the government subsidized loans and granted land to companies