A sweeping history of finance in the United States, from the early days of the republic to the modern era. The author examines the many economic and political forces that shaped the American financial system, including the rise of banking, the growth of Wall Street, the impact of wars and crises, and the evolution of monetary policy. Martin also shines a light on the individuals who played key roles in these developments, from Alexander Hamilton to Alan Greenspan. This book will appeal to anyone interested in the history of American finance and its influence on our society. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.