Revolution on $33,000 a day Part 1 (Ep11)

The financing and logistics of the American Revolution. In order to get a full picture of the American Revolution, one has to study more than the battles fought by the soldiers and the political ideals of the Founding Fathers. You have to ask, “Who paid for all this stuff and how did it get to where it was needed?” This episode covers the first three years of the War, from 1775 to 1778, when America was a scrappy start-up venture. It illuminates the ways in which the Continental Congress paid for the War. Chief among these are that they printed money, took out foreign loans, and received foreign military aide. But they also employed lesser-known methods, such as government-sanctioned piracy. This episode also explains the far-flung supply network that handled logistics for the Americans, which was essential in receiving and transporting needed supplies, such as gunpowder and arms. It features the man who did more than anyone to fund the War and to get provisions where they were needed: Philadelphia financier Robert Morris. This is the first of a 3-part series that takes us through the end of the War of Independence.