The 1913 Federal Reserve That Was Almost Never Born

In 1913, after decades of financial panics, the US Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act. But the central bank we know today almost didn't exist. Episode 39 of The Economic History Podcast digs into the unlikely alliance that created the Fed: the secret meeting at Jekyll Island, the resistance from populist farmers, and the last-minute political compromises that shaped a system still governing US monetary policy. Lucas and Luna explore how the 1907 panic, the National Monetary Commission, and the battle between Wall Street and Main Street produced a central bank that was deliberately weak, regionally divided, and almost immediately tested by World War I. If you think the Fed is old and settled, this story will surprise you. #FederalReserve #1913 #JekyllIsland #CentralBanking #MonetaryPolicy #EconomicHistory #1907Panic #WoodrowWilson #CarterGlass #AldrichPlan #NationalMonetaryCommission #PaulWarburg #Populism #BankingReform #USHistory #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo