“To hear the agitators you would suppose that all the rich were ready-made and an entailed class, and that all men must approach success from that side, and that the poor are doomed to be poor. But with rarest exceptions our millionaires and business giants have come up from the ranks of the poor.” The “American Dream” is a unique concept in the annals of history. It is born out of a belief in the potential of the individual and the nation that unshackles him. Millions flock to our shores in search of it. However, the last century gave rise to those who demonize the individuals who attain greatness and the creations they conjure through force of will and ability. The Raid on Prosperity is a book that seems modern when read, despite the archaic technology Day lauds (telegraphs, locomotives, etc.). It is a defense of the corporations and those individuals who made them great.  Written in 1907 against the backdrop of the Progressive Era, Day advocates for maintaining a government of minimal regulation which encourages the creative genius of its citizens rather than stifle it.