The United States was born in debt, a debt so deep that it threatened to destroy the young nation. Thomas Jefferson considered the national debt a monstrous fraud on posterity, while Alexander Hamilton believed debt would help America prosper. Both, as it turns out, were right. This book explores the untold history of America's first national debt, arising from the immense sums needed to conduct the Revolution. Financial historian Wright recounts the key events that shaped the U.S. financial system and explains how the actions of our forefathers laid the groundwork for the debt we still carry today. --From publisher description.
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