The Money Men: Capitalism, Democracy, and the Hundred Years' War Over the American Dollar (Enterprise)W. W. Norton & Company, 2010 M11 1 - 240 pages An "insightful" (Publishers Weekly) history of the development of American capitalism and the men who made it great. Most Americans are familiar with the political history of the United States, but there is another history woven all through it, a largely forgotten history—the story of the money men. Acclaimed historian H. W. Brands brings them back to life: J. P. Morgan, who stabilized a foundering U.S. Treasury in 1907; Alexander Hamilton, who founded the first national bank, and Nicholas Biddle, under whose directorship it failed; Jay Cooke, who helped to finance the Union war effort through his then-innovative strategy of selling bonds to ordinary Americans; and Jay Gould, who tried to corner the market on gold in 1869 and as a result brought about Black Friday and fled for his life. |
From inside the book
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Page 15
... central ques- tion raised subsidiary questions . How much money shall there be ? Who ought to control it ? To what ends ? The money question has been a puzzle for every society since the first ancient hit on the idea of employing ...
... central ques- tion raised subsidiary questions . How much money shall there be ? Who ought to control it ? To what ends ? The money question has been a puzzle for every society since the first ancient hit on the idea of employing ...
Page 25
... central govern- ment too little. The states made laws to suit themselves, with scant concern for the country as a whole. The states meddled in the affairs of the army, to the detriment of military efficiency. Most fatally, the states ...
... central govern- ment too little. The states made laws to suit themselves, with scant concern for the country as a whole. The states meddled in the affairs of the army, to the detriment of military efficiency. Most fatally, the states ...
Page 26
... central government and privileged to handle the government's accounts , would make good things easier and bad things less likely . Congress was funding the war through the sale of bonds and the issue of paper money . The bond sales were ...
... central government and privileged to handle the government's accounts , would make good things easier and bad things less likely . Congress was funding the war through the sale of bonds and the issue of paper money . The bond sales were ...
Page 34
... central government, which in turn required both that the central government gain power relative to the states and that the national executive be free of popular restraint. “You cannot have a good executive upon a democratic plan,” he ...
... central government, which in turn required both that the central government gain power relative to the states and that the national executive be free of popular restraint. “You cannot have a good executive upon a democratic plan,” he ...
Page 36
... , in a tone that appealed to readers ' rational self - interest . “ A man must be far gone in Utopian speculations , " he said , who couldn't see the necessity of a strong central government . Central control of 36 H. W. Brands.
... , in a tone that appealed to readers ' rational self - interest . “ A man must be far gone in Utopian speculations , " he said , who couldn't see the necessity of a strong central government . Central control of 36 H. W. Brands.
Contents
15 | |
The Bank War | 57 |
The Bonds of Union | 97 |
The Great Gold Conspiracy | 131 |
The Transit of Jupiter | 159 |
The Money Answer | 199 |
Notes | 207 |
For Further Reading | 217 |
Index | 223 |
Other editions - View all
The Money Men: Capitalism, Democracy, and the Hundred Years' War Over the ... H. W. Brands No preview available - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
Adams Alexander Hamilton Andrew Jackson Bank’s bankers Biddle’s Boutwell Bray Hammond British brokers Bryan bulls campaign capital capitalists central charter Chase Clay Cleveland Coin Congress Constitution Cooke’s Corbin Correspondence of Biddle currency Daniel Butterfield debt declared democracy democrats dollars election Erie Erie War ernment farmers favor federal government Federalists fight Fisk five-twenties gold and silver gold standard Grant greenbacks H. W. Brands Hamilton Henry House ibid interest investors issues J. P. Morgan Jay Cooke Jay Gould Jefferson knew Madison ment million money question money supply national bank never Nicholas Biddle notes Oberholtzer panic paper party Philadelphia politics president proposed purchase railroad Republicans Ron Chernow Roosevelt sell Senate sold specie speculators thought tion told took trade Treasury secretary U.S. Steel Union United Untermyer veto vote Wall Street wanted Washington wrote York