The way you build the usa is through free trade. all of our railroads, our early infrastructure, our skyscrapers, all the money that went in to explore the wild west - it was british and french foreign capital that did it. You can read all about it in the writings of Thomas Sowell. without that investment, we’d be bolivia, a total dump full of leftists. free trade is what helped us get rich and wealth helped increase our freedom.
During the time in question the usa was very much a protectionist nation, with high tariffs. Clearly you need to read a little history. The USA was protectionist/high tariffs most of it history. The usa only recently became a "free trader". The USA will suffer the same decline and fall that defell every major nation that embraced so called "free trade". "Free trade" is little more then a utopian dream without a global government. Those pushing for free trade are in effect arguing for global gvernment. US conservatives are hardly in favor of creating a global government.