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...

This collection brings together 16 interviews originally given as part of the series of Congressional Dialogues that philanthropist and radio host Rubenstein organized for members of Congress, beginning in 2013. Held at the Library of Congress, the Dialogues were intended to give Congress historical perspective that might inform their thinking about leadership and public service. In the interviews herein, historians such as Doris Kearns Goodwin, Ron...