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The Founders' Fortunes: How Money Shaped the Birth of America
An illuminating financial history of the Founding Fathers, revealing how their personal finances shaped the Constitution and the new nation
In 1776, upon the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers concluded America’s most consequential document with a curious note, pledging “our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” Lives and honor did indeed hang in the balance, yet just what were their fortunes? How much did the Founders stand to gain or lose through independence? And what lingering consequences did their respective financial stakes have on liberty, justice, and the fate of the fledgling United States of America?
In this landmark account, historian Willard Sterne Randall investigates the private financial affairs of the Founders, illuminating like never before how and why the Revolution came about. The Founders’ Fortunes uncovers how these leaders waged war, crafted a constitution, and forged a new nation influenced in part by their own financial interests. In an era where these very issues have become daily national questions, the result is a remarkable and insightful new understanding of our nation’s bedrock values.
In 1776, upon the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers concluded America’s most consequential document with a curious note, pledging “our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” Lives and honor did indeed hang in the balance, yet just what were their fortunes? How much did the Founders stand to gain or lose through independence? And what lingering consequences did their respective financial stakes have on liberty, justice, and the fate of the fledgling United States of America?
In this landmark account, historian Willard Sterne Randall investigates the private financial affairs of the Founders, illuminating like never before how and why the Revolution came about. The Founders’ Fortunes uncovers how these leaders waged war, crafted a constitution, and forged a new nation influenced in part by their own financial interests. In an era where these very issues have become daily national questions, the result is a remarkable and insightful new understanding of our nation’s bedrock values.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published February 8, 2022
24 people are currently reading
2108 people want to read
About the author
Willard Sterne Randall
43 books66 followersWillard Sterne Randall is an American historian and author who specializes in biographies related to the American colonial period and the American Revolution. He teaches American history at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.
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February 6, 2022
It's become a cliché that the Founders of the USA were rich white slaveowners, but how rich were they and where did their wealth come from? These are the unusual questions Willard Sterne Randall answers smartly and directly in The Founders' Fortunes. The short answer is land speculation, smuggling and slaves, but the ups and downs are fascinating. As are the implications for the nation.
Randall follows a largely chronological path of the birth of the nation, bringing in characters as they came to the fore. At that point he delves into their pasts and especially their presents as they increased their wealth, often dramatically, while the USA struggled to be born and then survive. They were nothing if not opportunistic.
George Washington was obsessed with land. By the time of his death, he had amassed 51,000 acres of it. He even bought eight lots in what was becoming Washington, DC. He was involved in numerous conflicts of interest, as he took part in, founded or ran several huge development companies, all focused on scooping up gigantic tracts of land in the midwest frontier territories before they became part of some new state. This, while he was a British soldier fighting off the French from occupying those same lands he coveted for his companies. His decisions in the field were, shall we say, colored by ulterior (okay - selfish) motives. They cost plenty of lives.
Everything he did was with a view towards gathering more land. He courted and married Martha, who had inherited a goodly chunk of it when her first husband died. He spent lavishly to obtain more, and often had no money to support it, or the farms he built out, or the 308 slaves he had working it, or even for himself. For years, he was so preoccupied with building his land holdings, he didn't notice that his lawyer/agent in London was not seeking the best deals for his purchases to be shipped to Virginia. The agent, who took a commission on every sale, not only benefited when he paid a higher price, but also bought him shoddy goods. The accounts piled up, and like so many other of the Founders, Washington found himself having to pay in gold or sterling as the colonies' currency was becoming worthless. There were no banks allowed in the colonies, and gold was scarce, setting them up for a massive depression when England was no longer a backstop or even on the same side.
During the depression after independence, his tenants' lack of money cut right to the bone for Washington. He received little or no rent for a number of years. Despite his massive holdings, he actually needed the salary of the presidency for eight years of financial stability and solvency in his precarious and exorbitant lifestyle. In his last years, he traveled around buying up land certificates awarded to his revolutionary war soldiers, using terribly depreciated continental dollars. But people were desperate, and how could they refuse The George Washington? After all, he always had their best interests at heart, and was the one who pushed for those free land certificates in the first place, right?
Then, after this lifelong quest to assemble it, in his will he broke it all up again.
Washington was an interesting character with great luck. Despite massively screwing up as a soldier, he found himself hailed as hero by thousands who didn't get the full story. He parlayed his reputation to the next failure, where he was again hailed as a hero. He was terrible at strategy and execution, but in surviving the messes he created, he won adoration as a genuine American hero.
Seeing his finances threatened by new English laws against the colonies, he abandoned his lifelong pursuit of being a British soldier and joined the movement to (at first) get better terms from the British, and then, when that failed, to seek independence. Yet when "preparing to return to Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress, (he) packed his red-and-blue brigadier's uniform," Randall says. He was Mr. Tone Deaf. And despite his sitting there in the uniform of the enemy, they made him their leader, once again. He could only fail upward.
Thomas Jefferson inherited a fortune at the age of 31 and retired. He gave up his (still struggling) law practice to focus on legal history and philosophies that he could pontificate over. His 204 slaves kept the income coming in. And still he spent lavishly, constantly running out of money, and piling up truly massive debts. He could not cut back on his lavish and extravagant lifestyle, getting him into endless trouble on two continents.
John Hancock was the richest merchant in New England, with stores everywhere. He made an easy fortune by smuggling his goods around behind British customs. He would have his ships arrive at odd places along the coast, offload them and bring the goods to Boston by road, where British customs officers had no presence. He fed stores all over New England with cheaper goods this way, and became massively rich. He lived lavishly too, but with a difference. He liked to splash for free grog and food, treating the public - his customers - to unanticipated festivities. They returned the favors by electing him to any post he desired, including governor. And no one would testify against him in court. He was hugely popular - the biggest personality in New England, as evidenced by his large, clear and flowing signature front and center on the Declaration of Independence.
Benjamin Franklin was the Elon Musk of his day. Everything he attempted produced another fortune for him. From Poor Richard's Almanack to evangelical speech transcripts and tracts, to printing and publishing, to Franklin stoves, Ben Franklin raked it in big time. He became so big he spun off companies to family members, taking an income or profit share from them. He held slave auctions in his store, and had two slaves of his own. He seems to have founded newspapers everywhere he went, right up to Montreal. He reorganized the post office as assistant postmaster general, which gave him another (gigantic) salary, the highest in the colonies for an American.
He set himself up in London, fighting the good fight for the colonies for 20 years, unofficial and unpaid. And he had major successes at it, until he got involved in the theft of documents to make one case. He escaped just in time (by giving a false date for his return to America, then leaving right away), and would return in an official (diplomatic) capacity when things calmed down.
It was on this second stint that Franklin got into the privateering game. He would send ships to capture British ships, divert them into port, offload all their cargo and sell it. There would be splits with his ship's captain and crew, so everyone was happy. Franklin boasted he made as much as 8000% financing these sorties.
This was perfectly legal for an American. There were several thousand ships doing the same thing. It was retaliation for England's absurd and punitive laws. Only English ships were allowed to carry goods to or from the colonies. Any ship carrying goods for the colonies was required to put into an English port for customs inspection. The colonies were required to purchase all their manufactured goods from England alone. No factories were allowed in the colonies. Tariffs and legal stamps were punitively and even laughably high, putting almost all goods and services out of reach. The colonists claimed to be English citizens, so why the punitive laws? But England had massive war debts to pay, and the colonists looked like fat targets from grimy, grinding England.
Franklin also owned 3000 acres of land back in Pennsylvania, and was heavily involved in development companies to obtain more, using his money and connections to jump the queue. He even had overlapping claims with George Washington's companies. His brand of lavish living was being a member of 80 gentlemen's clubs in Britain and France, eating himself to a state of crippling gout and kidney stones in his later years.
Samuel Adams was a most vocal instigator of independence. He was also a creative lawyer. John Hancock picked him to handle his smuggling trial, and Adams got him off, using conflicts within English law. Adams became an independence hero and permanent fixture in Hancock's circle.
Declaration signers Silas Deane and Robert Morris did not end well. As representatives of the new US government in Europe, they skimmed 5% commissions on all the arms and munitions shipments they arranged with France. Morris was the country's first superintendent of finance during the revolutionary war. He was also the country's richest man - a billionaire in today's dollars and the USA's first. Like most of the other Founders, he overstretched, took on unrepayable debt, and when the value of continental dollars shrank, got caught owing unaffordable gold and sterling. He knowingly refinanced using for collateral debts that had already settled and companies that he had already sold. He ended up in prison, penniless when he was released.
Ironically, financial whiz Alexander Hamilton never got rich. He had no slaves. George Washington didn't even know Hamilton was brilliant in finance until Morris declined the offer of Secretary of the Treasury - in favor of Hamilton. That Washington had no clue is really damning, as Hamilton worked the hall to save the new country from bankruptcy with totally innovative solutions the continental congress gladly took up. Not to mention how closely they worked all through the war.
As a group, these mainly wealthy white men believed only they could save the country. They engineered it to suit their pretty obvious needs. Randall says that in the first presidential election, only 4% of the population was eligible to vote, just as the Founders designed it. In Massachusetts, property ownership requirements were so stringent there were whole towns where no one could run for office. Inequality was the truth behind the bleatings of all men created equal.
Randall comes to this investigation with ease, as a shelf of books he has authored focuses on the biographies of the Founders. For obsessive compulsive record keepers like Thomas Jefferson, he was able to pore over microfilm of endless expenses he recorded, usually for later attempts at reimbursement somehow. Robert Morris left a fairly transparent trail of fraudulent conveyances, and George Washington was nothing if not paperwork. They were all hurt by English laws, because they dealt internationally. They all wanted the freedom to get richer. They were afraid of real democracy, and kept their own company. It was the old boys' network in the womb.
The result is a book most entertaining and a pleasure to read, as the country unfolds because or in spite of the personal needs and desires of the key players. The stories are juicy and wonderfully scandalous. This is an alternative history very much worth knowing. It puts everything in a different light and a clearer perspective.
David Wineberg
If you liked this review, I invite you to read more in my book The Straight Dope. It’s an essay collection based on my first thousand reviews and what I learned. Right now it’s FREE for Prime members, otherwise — cheap! Reputed to be fascinating and a superfast read. And you already know it is well-written.
Randall follows a largely chronological path of the birth of the nation, bringing in characters as they came to the fore. At that point he delves into their pasts and especially their presents as they increased their wealth, often dramatically, while the USA struggled to be born and then survive. They were nothing if not opportunistic.
George Washington was obsessed with land. By the time of his death, he had amassed 51,000 acres of it. He even bought eight lots in what was becoming Washington, DC. He was involved in numerous conflicts of interest, as he took part in, founded or ran several huge development companies, all focused on scooping up gigantic tracts of land in the midwest frontier territories before they became part of some new state. This, while he was a British soldier fighting off the French from occupying those same lands he coveted for his companies. His decisions in the field were, shall we say, colored by ulterior (okay - selfish) motives. They cost plenty of lives.
Everything he did was with a view towards gathering more land. He courted and married Martha, who had inherited a goodly chunk of it when her first husband died. He spent lavishly to obtain more, and often had no money to support it, or the farms he built out, or the 308 slaves he had working it, or even for himself. For years, he was so preoccupied with building his land holdings, he didn't notice that his lawyer/agent in London was not seeking the best deals for his purchases to be shipped to Virginia. The agent, who took a commission on every sale, not only benefited when he paid a higher price, but also bought him shoddy goods. The accounts piled up, and like so many other of the Founders, Washington found himself having to pay in gold or sterling as the colonies' currency was becoming worthless. There were no banks allowed in the colonies, and gold was scarce, setting them up for a massive depression when England was no longer a backstop or even on the same side.
During the depression after independence, his tenants' lack of money cut right to the bone for Washington. He received little or no rent for a number of years. Despite his massive holdings, he actually needed the salary of the presidency for eight years of financial stability and solvency in his precarious and exorbitant lifestyle. In his last years, he traveled around buying up land certificates awarded to his revolutionary war soldiers, using terribly depreciated continental dollars. But people were desperate, and how could they refuse The George Washington? After all, he always had their best interests at heart, and was the one who pushed for those free land certificates in the first place, right?
Then, after this lifelong quest to assemble it, in his will he broke it all up again.
Washington was an interesting character with great luck. Despite massively screwing up as a soldier, he found himself hailed as hero by thousands who didn't get the full story. He parlayed his reputation to the next failure, where he was again hailed as a hero. He was terrible at strategy and execution, but in surviving the messes he created, he won adoration as a genuine American hero.
Seeing his finances threatened by new English laws against the colonies, he abandoned his lifelong pursuit of being a British soldier and joined the movement to (at first) get better terms from the British, and then, when that failed, to seek independence. Yet when "preparing to return to Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress, (he) packed his red-and-blue brigadier's uniform," Randall says. He was Mr. Tone Deaf. And despite his sitting there in the uniform of the enemy, they made him their leader, once again. He could only fail upward.
Thomas Jefferson inherited a fortune at the age of 31 and retired. He gave up his (still struggling) law practice to focus on legal history and philosophies that he could pontificate over. His 204 slaves kept the income coming in. And still he spent lavishly, constantly running out of money, and piling up truly massive debts. He could not cut back on his lavish and extravagant lifestyle, getting him into endless trouble on two continents.
John Hancock was the richest merchant in New England, with stores everywhere. He made an easy fortune by smuggling his goods around behind British customs. He would have his ships arrive at odd places along the coast, offload them and bring the goods to Boston by road, where British customs officers had no presence. He fed stores all over New England with cheaper goods this way, and became massively rich. He lived lavishly too, but with a difference. He liked to splash for free grog and food, treating the public - his customers - to unanticipated festivities. They returned the favors by electing him to any post he desired, including governor. And no one would testify against him in court. He was hugely popular - the biggest personality in New England, as evidenced by his large, clear and flowing signature front and center on the Declaration of Independence.
Benjamin Franklin was the Elon Musk of his day. Everything he attempted produced another fortune for him. From Poor Richard's Almanack to evangelical speech transcripts and tracts, to printing and publishing, to Franklin stoves, Ben Franklin raked it in big time. He became so big he spun off companies to family members, taking an income or profit share from them. He held slave auctions in his store, and had two slaves of his own. He seems to have founded newspapers everywhere he went, right up to Montreal. He reorganized the post office as assistant postmaster general, which gave him another (gigantic) salary, the highest in the colonies for an American.
He set himself up in London, fighting the good fight for the colonies for 20 years, unofficial and unpaid. And he had major successes at it, until he got involved in the theft of documents to make one case. He escaped just in time (by giving a false date for his return to America, then leaving right away), and would return in an official (diplomatic) capacity when things calmed down.
It was on this second stint that Franklin got into the privateering game. He would send ships to capture British ships, divert them into port, offload all their cargo and sell it. There would be splits with his ship's captain and crew, so everyone was happy. Franklin boasted he made as much as 8000% financing these sorties.
This was perfectly legal for an American. There were several thousand ships doing the same thing. It was retaliation for England's absurd and punitive laws. Only English ships were allowed to carry goods to or from the colonies. Any ship carrying goods for the colonies was required to put into an English port for customs inspection. The colonies were required to purchase all their manufactured goods from England alone. No factories were allowed in the colonies. Tariffs and legal stamps were punitively and even laughably high, putting almost all goods and services out of reach. The colonists claimed to be English citizens, so why the punitive laws? But England had massive war debts to pay, and the colonists looked like fat targets from grimy, grinding England.
Franklin also owned 3000 acres of land back in Pennsylvania, and was heavily involved in development companies to obtain more, using his money and connections to jump the queue. He even had overlapping claims with George Washington's companies. His brand of lavish living was being a member of 80 gentlemen's clubs in Britain and France, eating himself to a state of crippling gout and kidney stones in his later years.
Samuel Adams was a most vocal instigator of independence. He was also a creative lawyer. John Hancock picked him to handle his smuggling trial, and Adams got him off, using conflicts within English law. Adams became an independence hero and permanent fixture in Hancock's circle.
Declaration signers Silas Deane and Robert Morris did not end well. As representatives of the new US government in Europe, they skimmed 5% commissions on all the arms and munitions shipments they arranged with France. Morris was the country's first superintendent of finance during the revolutionary war. He was also the country's richest man - a billionaire in today's dollars and the USA's first. Like most of the other Founders, he overstretched, took on unrepayable debt, and when the value of continental dollars shrank, got caught owing unaffordable gold and sterling. He knowingly refinanced using for collateral debts that had already settled and companies that he had already sold. He ended up in prison, penniless when he was released.
Ironically, financial whiz Alexander Hamilton never got rich. He had no slaves. George Washington didn't even know Hamilton was brilliant in finance until Morris declined the offer of Secretary of the Treasury - in favor of Hamilton. That Washington had no clue is really damning, as Hamilton worked the hall to save the new country from bankruptcy with totally innovative solutions the continental congress gladly took up. Not to mention how closely they worked all through the war.
As a group, these mainly wealthy white men believed only they could save the country. They engineered it to suit their pretty obvious needs. Randall says that in the first presidential election, only 4% of the population was eligible to vote, just as the Founders designed it. In Massachusetts, property ownership requirements were so stringent there were whole towns where no one could run for office. Inequality was the truth behind the bleatings of all men created equal.
Randall comes to this investigation with ease, as a shelf of books he has authored focuses on the biographies of the Founders. For obsessive compulsive record keepers like Thomas Jefferson, he was able to pore over microfilm of endless expenses he recorded, usually for later attempts at reimbursement somehow. Robert Morris left a fairly transparent trail of fraudulent conveyances, and George Washington was nothing if not paperwork. They were all hurt by English laws, because they dealt internationally. They all wanted the freedom to get richer. They were afraid of real democracy, and kept their own company. It was the old boys' network in the womb.
The result is a book most entertaining and a pleasure to read, as the country unfolds because or in spite of the personal needs and desires of the key players. The stories are juicy and wonderfully scandalous. This is an alternative history very much worth knowing. It puts everything in a different light and a clearer perspective.
David Wineberg
If you liked this review, I invite you to read more in my book The Straight Dope. It’s an essay collection based on my first thousand reviews and what I learned. Right now it’s FREE for Prime members, otherwise — cheap! Reputed to be fascinating and a superfast read. And you already know it is well-written.
March 30, 2022
The U.S. Constitution and economic self-interest of Founding Fathers
The death of George Floyd and several young Black men in confrontation with the law-enforcement in the past couple of years sparked anger, and protest the American political system, and the Founders of the U.S. Constitution themselves. Their legacy was unchallenged for two centuries came under attack from academics, media, and the left. Monuments of the Founding Fathers have been defaced and toppled in violent protests across America.
In 1913, historian Charles A. Beard of Columbia University argued, in an economic interpretation of the U.S. Constitution that the Founding Fathers were more interested in promoting their individual economic and financial interests in the new nation. Since then, many constitutional and historical scholars have challenged this analysis as too narrow, because he did not have the much needed economic and financial data of the Founders. Many scholars including the author of this book have shown that the principles and political philosophies motivated them. They were patriots interested in freedom from the colonial rule and offered their wisdom to a nation that was deeply divided.
George Washington was poor when he was growing up in Virginia. He refused a salary and sought reimbursement for expenses. During the eight-year-long struggle, he lost half his wealth, largely because he neglected his farms. He received no pension. Like some Founders, Washington was rich in land and slaves but cash-poor. In a long postwar depression, he couldn’t sell or rent his lands. Founders like Samuel Adams was not rich, and John Hancock crammed the family fortune into a carriage to invest in the American Revolution. James Madison, son of a wealthy Virginia planter, took his seat in Congress, but his widow, Dolly Madison became penniless later in life and had to seek help from one of her former slaves during her difficult economic circumstances. Alexander Hamilton, who created the financial system of the U.S., was so broke when he died in a duel that his friends had to accept a collection for his funeral.
This book discusses the difficulties the Founders faced during the formative years. They were fighting the formidable English colonists with enormous political and economic superiority over the American colony. The author discusses the events in the history leading up to the American revolution and immediately after that in some detail. A vast amount of material has been covered and it is interesting to note that the Founders of American constitution had good intentions and sought prosperity for its citizens.
The death of George Floyd and several young Black men in confrontation with the law-enforcement in the past couple of years sparked anger, and protest the American political system, and the Founders of the U.S. Constitution themselves. Their legacy was unchallenged for two centuries came under attack from academics, media, and the left. Monuments of the Founding Fathers have been defaced and toppled in violent protests across America.
In 1913, historian Charles A. Beard of Columbia University argued, in an economic interpretation of the U.S. Constitution that the Founding Fathers were more interested in promoting their individual economic and financial interests in the new nation. Since then, many constitutional and historical scholars have challenged this analysis as too narrow, because he did not have the much needed economic and financial data of the Founders. Many scholars including the author of this book have shown that the principles and political philosophies motivated them. They were patriots interested in freedom from the colonial rule and offered their wisdom to a nation that was deeply divided.
George Washington was poor when he was growing up in Virginia. He refused a salary and sought reimbursement for expenses. During the eight-year-long struggle, he lost half his wealth, largely because he neglected his farms. He received no pension. Like some Founders, Washington was rich in land and slaves but cash-poor. In a long postwar depression, he couldn’t sell or rent his lands. Founders like Samuel Adams was not rich, and John Hancock crammed the family fortune into a carriage to invest in the American Revolution. James Madison, son of a wealthy Virginia planter, took his seat in Congress, but his widow, Dolly Madison became penniless later in life and had to seek help from one of her former slaves during her difficult economic circumstances. Alexander Hamilton, who created the financial system of the U.S., was so broke when he died in a duel that his friends had to accept a collection for his funeral.
This book discusses the difficulties the Founders faced during the formative years. They were fighting the formidable English colonists with enormous political and economic superiority over the American colony. The author discusses the events in the history leading up to the American revolution and immediately after that in some detail. A vast amount of material has been covered and it is interesting to note that the Founders of American constitution had good intentions and sought prosperity for its citizens.
February 19, 2022
I was looking forward to this book because I haven't ever seen an analysis of the Founding Fathers' wealth and how it impacted the origins of the US. Unfortunately, this book didn't quite go where I wanted it to.
Randall does do a good job of noting the land, stock, and debt of many of the best known founders of the country. He also takes special care to include the numbers of slaves they own at various points across decades, as well as noting the number of enslaved people per colony. He mentions that the investments of the five richest men at the first continental congress are greater than those of the other 45 men combined. However, he does not draw direct conclusions. He doesn't have an argument. He only lists various people's (especially Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson) at several points in their lives.
I was hoping for a direct analysis of the wealth of the founders and their influence. Is there as much of a connection as I think there is? Definitely in some cases, but Randall doesn't even try to draw lines of connection.
Randall is a renowned biographer of the Founding Fathers ,and this book is at its best when giving biographical detail to put everything in context of the times and the costs involved. He is assiduous in translating the value of the currency mentioned into today's dollars, which is great. He really does bring the colonial world to life on the page.
However, he generally aggregates all Native peoples into "Indians," without noting whether that is due to poor source material or his own failure to check into tribal history of the conflicts in question. (I am more familiar with Native histories of the southwest and pacnw areas of the US and Canada; I don't know what history is available of the east coast tribes, but I tend to think there must be something.)
Also, Randall states, "Never before had artillery been brought to bear in the American interior," which is demonstrably incorrect. Artillery was crucial to the Spanish conquest of (what became) New Spain between the late 1490s and early 15-teens -- about 290 years before the history Randall is recounting. Call it a quibble, okay, but "America" did exist beyond the English colonies.
I was interested to learn that Thomas Jefferson drafted numerous abolitions of slavery, which all failed, *without divesting of his own slaves*, and decades later wrote of how he grieved the damage done to the western hemisphere by the institution of slavery. While still owning slaves. Such hypocrisy, dear god.
I also learned that the first national bankruptcy bailout was of land speculators. Because real estate bailouts are a thing, I guess.
Anyway, I got some of what I wanted from this book -- a good look at the financial context of the American Revolution, wartime, post-war, and post-Constitution periods, during which there was a devastating economic depression. Someone needs to write the book that ties all of that together with the power of the plutocracy/oligarchy disguising itself as "democracy" in the early history of the country. And if this exists, already, please please link me!
ARC
Randall does do a good job of noting the land, stock, and debt of many of the best known founders of the country. He also takes special care to include the numbers of slaves they own at various points across decades, as well as noting the number of enslaved people per colony. He mentions that the investments of the five richest men at the first continental congress are greater than those of the other 45 men combined. However, he does not draw direct conclusions. He doesn't have an argument. He only lists various people's (especially Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson) at several points in their lives.
I was hoping for a direct analysis of the wealth of the founders and their influence. Is there as much of a connection as I think there is? Definitely in some cases, but Randall doesn't even try to draw lines of connection.
Randall is a renowned biographer of the Founding Fathers ,and this book is at its best when giving biographical detail to put everything in context of the times and the costs involved. He is assiduous in translating the value of the currency mentioned into today's dollars, which is great. He really does bring the colonial world to life on the page.
However, he generally aggregates all Native peoples into "Indians," without noting whether that is due to poor source material or his own failure to check into tribal history of the conflicts in question. (I am more familiar with Native histories of the southwest and pacnw areas of the US and Canada; I don't know what history is available of the east coast tribes, but I tend to think there must be something.)
Also, Randall states, "Never before had artillery been brought to bear in the American interior," which is demonstrably incorrect. Artillery was crucial to the Spanish conquest of (what became) New Spain between the late 1490s and early 15-teens -- about 290 years before the history Randall is recounting. Call it a quibble, okay, but "America" did exist beyond the English colonies.
I was interested to learn that Thomas Jefferson drafted numerous abolitions of slavery, which all failed, *without divesting of his own slaves*, and decades later wrote of how he grieved the damage done to the western hemisphere by the institution of slavery. While still owning slaves. Such hypocrisy, dear god.
I also learned that the first national bankruptcy bailout was of land speculators. Because real estate bailouts are a thing, I guess.
Anyway, I got some of what I wanted from this book -- a good look at the financial context of the American Revolution, wartime, post-war, and post-Constitution periods, during which there was a devastating economic depression. Someone needs to write the book that ties all of that together with the power of the plutocracy/oligarchy disguising itself as "democracy" in the early history of the country. And if this exists, already, please please link me!
ARC
January 31, 2022
This was a great and educational read about the founding father's and how the United States currency and mint came to be. It was well researched and I like that the author had both positive and negatives POV when sharing the history of our country. Will definitely get this when it is published and look for other books written by this author.
Recommended for anyone who likes US History or history in general.
Thanks to Netgalley, Willard Sterne Randall and Penguin Group Dutton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Available: 2/8/22
Recommended for anyone who likes US History or history in general.
Thanks to Netgalley, Willard Sterne Randall and Penguin Group Dutton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Available: 2/8/22
February 10, 2023
As one of the librarians I work with is fond of saying, "This would have made a great magazine article, but it didn't need to be a whole book." Several hours of this audiobook were off-topic, as if the author fell into a groove and decided to write a history of the Revolutionary War. If you're interested in a less euphemistic investigation of this topic but not so much wanting a broader biography of the Founding Fathers, I'd recommend The Half has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism by Edward E. Baptist instead. As some other critical reviews have mentioned, this narrative seriously lacks analysis and a deeper fleshing out of the enslaved, forced laborers whose toil and suffering allowed these men to become millionaires while also decrying the institution of slavery.
June 10, 2022
if the u.s. was originally colonized (not "founded") on white supremacy and christian extremism, capital is how it sought its independence. certainly not through bravery and patriotism; it was thought love of country was enough to motivate the troops, no, that had no effect, it was about getting paid and obtaining land, to the point where when they would not get paid, they essentially went on strike (and washington would threaten them at gunpoint). then a rich man would be begged by washington or franklin to put money up front, and would be rewarded by the future government. washington himself fell ass backwards into fortune, the product of royalty was bequeathed a significant amount of land and enslaved people as a child, and everything after receiving this inheritance (a major problem in american economics, as the downtown boys would say, it should be taxed "1!-0!-0!" percent) everything having to do with his future was motivation to keep his estate. even if he wasn't a great farmer. but he always found a way to scam, including marrying a rich widow. the guy was obsessed with becoming royal military, and he probably would have followed through if rumblings of english abolition weren't spreading. and with sway from ben franklin. both franklin and washington were so (book) "smart," like most colonizers, because they had plenty of time to study while enslaved people took care of every other aspect of life. this, however, is all my criticism of their history, and my major critique of 'the founders' fortunes': randall offers no real analysis, and is rather glib in attention (or lack thereof) to acknowledging the workers, enslaved or free, merely floating by with an occasional name, or stray number, just to include as a matter of fact, instead of the entire matter of creating said fortunes - for - "the founders." randall is supposedly an outstanding biographer, and part of me understands if dedicating one's life to studying horrible historical figures, it's best (see: most profitable) to extend american mythos for his own sake, individualism at its finest, even if i'm reading into it too much. but the other side of me detests the perpetuation of colonial glorification while remaining neutral (unlike another historian, as zinn would say, "you can't be neutral on a moving train") and letting "facts speak for themselves"--but if those facts are anchored in white supremacy, male supremacy, and nationalist supremacy, their voice is singular: one of concretizing u.s. imperial hegemony. because of this, and the fact you don't open the book cover and just see the word "slavery," end of story; 'the founders' fortunes' comes off more as a collection of "fun facts."
so here are some i jotted down:
- "join or die" was the "first american cartoon"
-franklin imported "servants" and was a major player in the euro gun trade--hey what do you know arms dealing is inherently american.
-washington was a wannabe royal officer built on inheritance
-most founders only had fortunes because of inheritance
-sam adams basically a spoiled kid
-washington believed settlements should be controlled by - corporations - not citizens or land owners --wow, that really made me consider the current u.s. actually making complete sense.
-washington -- mr. america -- actively crossed the anti-loyalist/english boycott line to buy luxury goods for his wife.
-a lot of tension between quaker merchants and quaker religion in decision to go to war (to preserve merchant fortune) under colonel ben franklin, quaker troops eventually resigned after franklin's implemented attack on indigenous people.
-talk about grooming-- john adams wanted to marry a 15 year old girl and took 5 years to "convince" her - father - he would be financially wealthy enough. adams was a decade older than her, a lawyer even.
-obsession over military and its glorification can arguably all be linked to avoiding another "shay's rebellion" -- or any citizen uprising --the state using (now) cops to subside revolutionary action
-new jersey was the sole vote against the first attempt at u.s. abolishing slavery -yikes.
-washington held soldiers at gunpoint rather than paying them when he ran out of funds
-robert morris - some consider "america's first billionaire" - took charge of "presidential duties" all except for war -most notably the financial aspect of the country, with greatest power in the land, he refused to give up his private business/interest - yeah, where the government sends its money and funding up to today now makes total sense.
-washington after presidency for fortune (and in mt. vernon's direct interest) was granted potomac project control
based on volume of selective information alone, it doesn't feel complete, even for the sake of propagandizing, it felt light? it - looks - like a lot of information because of how little we are taught in u.s. education, but because of the casual feel of the text (to rantall's credit - very - readable) it objectively suffers, trying not to squeeze in more information out of fear of coming off too dry. i'm glad i read 'the founders' fortunes' if only to make me seek out a working class perspective in the future, as it's severely lacking here.
so here are some i jotted down:
- "join or die" was the "first american cartoon"
-franklin imported "servants" and was a major player in the euro gun trade--hey what do you know arms dealing is inherently american.
-washington was a wannabe royal officer built on inheritance
-most founders only had fortunes because of inheritance
-sam adams basically a spoiled kid
-washington believed settlements should be controlled by - corporations - not citizens or land owners --wow, that really made me consider the current u.s. actually making complete sense.
-washington -- mr. america -- actively crossed the anti-loyalist/english boycott line to buy luxury goods for his wife.
-a lot of tension between quaker merchants and quaker religion in decision to go to war (to preserve merchant fortune) under colonel ben franklin, quaker troops eventually resigned after franklin's implemented attack on indigenous people.
-talk about grooming-- john adams wanted to marry a 15 year old girl and took 5 years to "convince" her - father - he would be financially wealthy enough. adams was a decade older than her, a lawyer even.
-obsession over military and its glorification can arguably all be linked to avoiding another "shay's rebellion" -- or any citizen uprising --the state using (now) cops to subside revolutionary action
-new jersey was the sole vote against the first attempt at u.s. abolishing slavery -yikes.
-washington held soldiers at gunpoint rather than paying them when he ran out of funds
-robert morris - some consider "america's first billionaire" - took charge of "presidential duties" all except for war -most notably the financial aspect of the country, with greatest power in the land, he refused to give up his private business/interest - yeah, where the government sends its money and funding up to today now makes total sense.
-washington after presidency for fortune (and in mt. vernon's direct interest) was granted potomac project control
based on volume of selective information alone, it doesn't feel complete, even for the sake of propagandizing, it felt light? it - looks - like a lot of information because of how little we are taught in u.s. education, but because of the casual feel of the text (to rantall's credit - very - readable) it objectively suffers, trying not to squeeze in more information out of fear of coming off too dry. i'm glad i read 'the founders' fortunes' if only to make me seek out a working class perspective in the future, as it's severely lacking here.
February 23, 2022
THE FOUNDERS' FORTUNES: HOW MONEY SHAPED THE BIRTH OF AMERICA.
BY: WILLARD STERNE RANDALL
This was an epic sized account of early America written by Willard Sterne Randall who has written whole books about some of the Founding Fathers that are included in this historical work. I would like to try reading some of his previous work that concentrates on a particular historical person and then re-read this after I have done so.
This didn't really work for me as there is too many historical people discussed and the well known ones were easy to interpret their contributions. There were other's that I hadn't heard of before and the Author overwhelmed me at times with not giving enough depth to those unknown to me.
Sure, I think that this may appeal to some, but it felt like at times it read like an encyclopedia of historical details and dates.
I love history and I am well versed on the lives of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, King George II & III of England and what their roles were in history. I enjoyed the aspects of what led up to the Revolutionary war which I am also well educated on that period as I have the good fortune of living about forty-five minutes from the historic sites in and around Boston. I learned about that period of history in Elementary School.
It was impressive to me how Willard Sterne Randall inserted how much money things that cost when he was referencing them during the 1700's to what the amount it would translate to cost today. I will buy this since it is already published and read it again after I read some of his other books that focus primarily as biographies of one historical person that he has devoted a whole book to. Perhaps, this one will be more enjoyable and I will come back and update my review. It is worthy of reading other peoples reviews if you are considering reading this. Three Stars for now in my humble opinion.
Publication Date: February 8th, 2022. Available now to buy!
Thank you to Net Galley, Willard Sterne Randall and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton-Dutton for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
#TheFoundersFortunes #WillardSterneRandall #PenguinGroupDuttonDutton #NetGalley
BY: WILLARD STERNE RANDALL
This was an epic sized account of early America written by Willard Sterne Randall who has written whole books about some of the Founding Fathers that are included in this historical work. I would like to try reading some of his previous work that concentrates on a particular historical person and then re-read this after I have done so.
This didn't really work for me as there is too many historical people discussed and the well known ones were easy to interpret their contributions. There were other's that I hadn't heard of before and the Author overwhelmed me at times with not giving enough depth to those unknown to me.
Sure, I think that this may appeal to some, but it felt like at times it read like an encyclopedia of historical details and dates.
I love history and I am well versed on the lives of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, King George II & III of England and what their roles were in history. I enjoyed the aspects of what led up to the Revolutionary war which I am also well educated on that period as I have the good fortune of living about forty-five minutes from the historic sites in and around Boston. I learned about that period of history in Elementary School.
It was impressive to me how Willard Sterne Randall inserted how much money things that cost when he was referencing them during the 1700's to what the amount it would translate to cost today. I will buy this since it is already published and read it again after I read some of his other books that focus primarily as biographies of one historical person that he has devoted a whole book to. Perhaps, this one will be more enjoyable and I will come back and update my review. It is worthy of reading other peoples reviews if you are considering reading this. Three Stars for now in my humble opinion.
Publication Date: February 8th, 2022. Available now to buy!
Thank you to Net Galley, Willard Sterne Randall and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton-Dutton for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
#TheFoundersFortunes #WillardSterneRandall #PenguinGroupDuttonDutton #NetGalley
August 9, 2021
This book was received as an ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Dutton in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
I was really anticipating reading this book since this has been a popular controversial topic since the pandemic and I have been hearing and reading many conspiracy theories regarding the U.S. Financial system and the truth about the Constitution and this book was really interesting and informative. Willard Sterne Randall did a great job highlighting the signature events that made an impact to the story making it clear of the initial purpose our Founding Fathers intended for the U.S. Financial System. This book went back to the roots when the country was founded and I think readers will have different perspectives for interpreting the message William Sterne Randall did they will definitely be keeping minds turning.
We will consider adding this title to our History collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
I was really anticipating reading this book since this has been a popular controversial topic since the pandemic and I have been hearing and reading many conspiracy theories regarding the U.S. Financial system and the truth about the Constitution and this book was really interesting and informative. Willard Sterne Randall did a great job highlighting the signature events that made an impact to the story making it clear of the initial purpose our Founding Fathers intended for the U.S. Financial System. This book went back to the roots when the country was founded and I think readers will have different perspectives for interpreting the message William Sterne Randall did they will definitely be keeping minds turning.
We will consider adding this title to our History collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
March 1, 2022
This well-researched book is more than just an overview of the finances of America's founders. As we learn the details of how (and why) they made their fortunes, we also learn a lot about their personal lives and the times they lived in. After all, you can't separate the amassing of a fortune from the reasons that fortune was sought after in the first place.
The writing style isn't sleep-inducing academic dusty fact-dumping, thank goodness. I love history, and enjoy learning about famous figures, but I can't abide dry, lifeless writing. This book is a comfortably pleasant read in that respect. I'll probably read it twice through, as there's a lot of interesting information presented and I'd like to soak up as much of it as possible.
Spoiler alert - Benjamin Franklin is, and probably always will be, one of the most interesting men in history!
My thanks to author Willard Sterne Randall, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
The writing style isn't sleep-inducing academic dusty fact-dumping, thank goodness. I love history, and enjoy learning about famous figures, but I can't abide dry, lifeless writing. This book is a comfortably pleasant read in that respect. I'll probably read it twice through, as there's a lot of interesting information presented and I'd like to soak up as much of it as possible.
Spoiler alert - Benjamin Franklin is, and probably always will be, one of the most interesting men in history!
My thanks to author Willard Sterne Randall, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
March 18, 2022
Much has been said in the last decades about the founding fathers motivations for the revolution. They have been portrayed as a bunch of wealthy white guys simply wanting to increase their power and wealth. This book takes a close look at the personal finances, Risks, and costs of their participation throughout the revolutionary period and the formation of the nation. The bottom line is that therePledge To Each Other Our Lives, Our Fortunes And Our Sacred Honor Was no subterfuge, But and honest foray into a freer society with the glaring exception of slavery.
Some of the founders do indeed come out looking like scoundrels, profiteering at the expense of soldiers and commoners. Thomas Jefferson, as usual, is all talk and less action, a spendthrift to the end, decrying slavery and and yet holding on to his slaves.
All in all it seemed to be a very evenhanded and fair exoneration of the financial lives of most of the founders. Especially my beloved Hamilton! 3.5 stars
Some of the founders do indeed come out looking like scoundrels, profiteering at the expense of soldiers and commoners. Thomas Jefferson, as usual, is all talk and less action, a spendthrift to the end, decrying slavery and and yet holding on to his slaves.
All in all it seemed to be a very evenhanded and fair exoneration of the financial lives of most of the founders. Especially my beloved Hamilton! 3.5 stars
August 11, 2022
Excellent Narrative on Key Founder’s Pre- and Post-war Circumstances
I had thought this book would be about key Founders’ post-Revolutionary War financial state. It’s more than that, giving also the pre-war condition of a few Founders, such as Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Robert Morris; and follows their activities during the Revolution, the Confederation Congress, the Constitutional Convention, and Washington’s presidency. The author is a good storyteller, and relates many details of the founding that I found interesting. I’ve been reading about this period for over 30 years, and I still learned many new stories about the key Founders. He’s well versed in documents from the period, and provides many footnotes from the Founders’ letters. I highly recommend this book. I read the Kindle version, which had a clean text and easy navigation tools to and from the footnotes, which are after the chapters. A joy to read for fans of the Founding.
I had thought this book would be about key Founders’ post-Revolutionary War financial state. It’s more than that, giving also the pre-war condition of a few Founders, such as Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Robert Morris; and follows their activities during the Revolution, the Confederation Congress, the Constitutional Convention, and Washington’s presidency. The author is a good storyteller, and relates many details of the founding that I found interesting. I’ve been reading about this period for over 30 years, and I still learned many new stories about the key Founders. He’s well versed in documents from the period, and provides many footnotes from the Founders’ letters. I highly recommend this book. I read the Kindle version, which had a clean text and easy navigation tools to and from the footnotes, which are after the chapters. A joy to read for fans of the Founding.
April 26, 2025
A fascinating and well written exploration of the economics of the War for Independence. We follow not just the founding fathers such as Benjamin Franklin and George Washington in their pursuance of wealth, but we also get further views into parts of the War for Independence that are scantily mentioned in the public discourse aside from the public school-level knowledge of The Intolerable Acts, “No Taxation Without Representation” and the short-comings of the Articles of Confederation in relation to Shays’ Rebellion; the rise and fall of the career of Robert Morris who was one of the central financiers of the revolution, the intricacies of colonial militia before and during the War, and just how easily the project of the United States could’ve gone by the wayside if we didn’t have the right pennies and the right minds in the right place.
If you want to expand your knowledge on one of the key motivating factors of the War for Independence, I can’t think of a better place to start!
If you want to expand your knowledge on one of the key motivating factors of the War for Independence, I can’t think of a better place to start!
June 27, 2025
I’ve been on a bit of an American Revolution kick this year, and "The Founder's Fortunes" by Willard Sterne Randall I picked up because it zooms in on something we don’t usually hear much about: money.
Randall digs into how the Revolution wasn’t just about freedom and ideals—it was also about land, wealth, and who got to keep (or grow) theirs. Turns out, a lot of the Founding Fathers had serious financial stakes. The book shows how many of them were motivated just as much by protecting their fortunes as by fighting for liberty.
One thing that really stuck with me: all the talk about “every man” having rights? That applied if you owned a certain amount of land. So while the Revolution opened doors for some, it definitely wasn’t an equal-opportunity moment for everyone.
It’s a detailed read, but not dry. If you’re curious about the money trail behind the Revolution, this book is a great place to start. It made me rethink a lot of what I thought I knew.
Randall digs into how the Revolution wasn’t just about freedom and ideals—it was also about land, wealth, and who got to keep (or grow) theirs. Turns out, a lot of the Founding Fathers had serious financial stakes. The book shows how many of them were motivated just as much by protecting their fortunes as by fighting for liberty.
One thing that really stuck with me: all the talk about “every man” having rights? That applied if you owned a certain amount of land. So while the Revolution opened doors for some, it definitely wasn’t an equal-opportunity moment for everyone.
It’s a detailed read, but not dry. If you’re curious about the money trail behind the Revolution, this book is a great place to start. It made me rethink a lot of what I thought I knew.
April 28, 2025
I liked the book overall. It gives a pretty good overview of Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, and some of the other founders. It focuses heavily on Washington and Franklin. It probably could have been longer and included more details of different time periods, but it is a good read that will probably leave you wanting more if you like history, finance, etc. Overall my favorite part was seeing how fragile the personal finances of the founding fathers was, for example Washington was pretty much poor up until he married Martha, and even then he remained fairly cash strapped until his death.
March 1, 2022
This book gives a detailed chronicle of a number of the founding fathers of the United States through the lens of their finances. It also details the funding of the Revolutionary War efforts and the founding of the US Financial system. I had recently read a novelization of Andrew Hamilton’s life, who was the first Treasury Secretary. This book expanded my knowledge of some of what was brought up in that novel.
For American history buffs, this would be an interesting read.
I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley,
For American history buffs, this would be an interesting read.
I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley,
April 12, 2022
A very interesting perspective to view how our nation got its start. By understanding more about the financial as well as the political environment gives one pause to consider what an accomplishment it was to form and sustain our nation. I would have rated the book higher, except I found it seemed to jump around a lot. That being said I'm not sure how the author could have better organized it and still cover as much as he did. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in our nation's beginnings.
May 10, 2022
I found this book to be well written and informative. By framing the American Revolution in the context of its economic impact on some of the main figures, brought a fresh and interesting perspective to a subject that has countless times written about it. I especially like the information related to how much the revolution seemed to be funded by smuggling, privateering and downright piracy. When peoples incomes and livelihoods are threatened they will do anything and this book shows that can even lead to a revolution like none seen before
September 25, 2022
Randall offers details about the wealth—and intermittent lack thereof—of a number of the so-called “Founding Fathers,” and how persistently those men looked out for their own financial interests throughout the Revolutionary era.
Presumptively you aren’t surprised to learn about these details.
There’s plenty more to learn when you read The Founders’ Fortunes.
The matter-of-fact point is that these men were looking out for themselves at the same time that they were creating the independent United States of America.
Read more of my book reviews and poems here:
Presumptively you aren’t surprised to learn about these details.
There’s plenty more to learn when you read The Founders’ Fortunes.
The matter-of-fact point is that these men were looking out for themselves at the same time that they were creating the independent United States of America.
Read more of my book reviews and poems here:
November 2, 2022
Follow the money and you will see how many of nation's policies were shaped by financial concerns - including the development of American grievances and its ultimate independence. If money matters could have been resolved, America would have chosen to stay in the fold of the British empire. The author also goes into great detail about all of the vested interests of many of the founding fathers. It was a fascinating read that was well-documented and thoroughly cited. It was also very enlightening to hear about how financial invested English government members were in America...no one thought America would cleave off. You see by those transactions and the free travel afforded to Americans, up to the end the British considered America a disagreement headed to a resolution.
March 8, 2022
It's always interesting to follow the money when it comes to historical events.
This is a basic economic history of the United States before and during the Revolutionary War. It goes in depth about some of the main historical figures--George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton. Randall, however, didn't seem to draw any conclusions, and it ended rather abruptly.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group for an arc for an unbiased review.
This is a basic economic history of the United States before and during the Revolutionary War. It goes in depth about some of the main historical figures--George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton. Randall, however, didn't seem to draw any conclusions, and it ended rather abruptly.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group for an arc for an unbiased review.
September 21, 2022
Enjoyed this one a lot! If you have ever wondered how America's founding fathers were able to bankroll the revolution, this is the book for you. Willard Sterne Randall does a beautiful job illustrating a lesser known side of the fight for American freedom. Also, he nicely puts the financial situations into modern day terms.
Highly recommended for American history buffs and fans of early North American economics.
Highly recommended for American history buffs and fans of early North American economics.
February 26, 2022
This book is about "How money shaped the birth of America". In school, we learn about injustices by the British that led to riots over the Stamp Act and the Boston Tea Party, but the patriots experienced many financial injustices long before that aren't widely known. Randall relates these in interesting detail mostly through the lives of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.
March 11, 2022
It's not that it's bad, it's just that there's literally no reason for it to exist. Everything contained herein is contained in other histories, and usually in better fashion. It speaks little about the founders' actual fortunes, and just rehashes revolutionary history with a slightly pointed financial and monetary focus.
January 17, 2023
3.5 Interesting look into the financial beginnings & evolutions of some key American founders. Had to make a conscious effort to read each chapter as it’s own story, as opposed to assuming chronology. This book highlights how WILD the birth of our nation really was especially considering who lead the charge to independence and with what means. Would read again!
February 1, 2025
Somewhat interesting. Largely dry. Which there were less narrative focus on retelling of the history of the American revolution and more of a deep dive into some of the financial indicators around it.
And towards the end felt the slightest of senses that the author had an agenda with regards to his feelings towards the Founders and their (varying degrees of) wealth.
And towards the end felt the slightest of senses that the author had an agenda with regards to his feelings towards the Founders and their (varying degrees of) wealth.
March 20, 2022
Money: It's all about money
This book fascinated me from the moment I learned about it. From the nation's infancy the top guns have had ulterior motives, that being to enrich themselves.
I would recommend it for history buffs.
This book fascinated me from the moment I learned about it. From the nation's infancy the top guns have had ulterior motives, that being to enrich themselves.
I would recommend it for history buffs.
abandoned
July 26, 2023I want the information that is in this book but it is just so boring. Like reading a tax return ‘acquired X parcels of land’ ‘sold controlling stake in the printing business’ ‘procured 5 pounds for sale to British soldiers’.
August 21, 2024
A easily digestible peek into the personal and political financial motivations and implications of our nation’s birth. Fascinating to more fully consider the founding of a future global leader and its economy.
February 23, 2022
A somewhat interesting view of the livelihoods of early America - might probably have been better if a bit more depth on a couple less characters.
July 6, 2022
Excellent book. This story should be made into a documentary.
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