It turns out socialism was a scare word even through the 19th century, then meaning government provided for the public good, such as roads, schools and libraries.

Features like social safety nets and disaster relief came after the US went through a few ordeals and got traumatized by all the mass suffering and death.

And from the cotton plantation owners to the industrialists to the tech bros, the owner class hated the notion, and continued to organize and plot against it.