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Robert Morris: Financier of the American Revolution
In this biography, the acclaimed author of Sons of Providence , winner of the 2007 George Wash- ington Book Prize, recovers an immensely important part of the founding drama of the country in the story of Robert Morris, the man who financed Washington’s armies and the American Revolution. Morris started life in the colonies as an apprentice in a counting house. By the time of the Revolution he was a rich man, a commercial and social leader in Philadelphia. He organized a clandestine trading network to arm the American rebels, joined the Second Continental Congress, and financed George Washington’s two crucial victories—Valley Forge and the culminating battle at Yorktown that defeated Cornwallis and ended the war. The leader of a faction that included Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and Washington, Morris ran the executive branches of the revolutionary government for years. He was a man of prodigious energy and adroit management skills and was the most successful businessman on the continent. He laid the foundation for public credit and free capital markets that helped make America a global economic leader. But he incurred powerful enemies who considered his wealth and influence a danger to public "virtue" in a democratic society. After public service, he gambled on land speculations that went bad, and landed in debtors prison, where George Washington, his loyal friend, visited him. This once wealthy and powerful man ended his life in modest circumstances, but Rappleye restores his place as a patriot and an immensely important founding father.
640 pages, Hardcover
First published November 2, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 10, 2024
Robert Morris is not as familiar to us these days as he should be. He's known as the "Financier of the American Revolution" because he utilized his expertise in finance in order to fund the Revolutionary War, often using his own capital and credit as a merchant to secure the finances needed to continue the war. This was an interesting biography to read because it gives you an entirely different perspective on the Revolutionary War. When you think about that era you typically think of Washington and Jefferson, the signing of the Declaration, the various battles, Valley Forge and so forth....you don't really think about the financial side of war and how necessary the establishment of an economic system is to the creation of a new country. America would not have been able to emerge from the war and survive without the financial systems that were created and implemented by people like Robert Morris. So, even though this was a very interesting biography it could also be very tedious reading unless you really really really want to read about the financial systems and economics of the Revolutionary American era.
July 23, 2010
Finally after 50 years, we have a full biography on Robert Morris. It is amazing how he kept the American Revolution financially alive and in the end, going to the poor-house.
March 24, 2023
This biography of Robert Morris is outstanding. I knew little of Robert Morris before reading this book, outside of seeing his name mentioned often throughout my reading of other Founding Fathers.
Morris was Philadelphia’s, and therefore North America’s, most prominent merchant prior to the revolution. As a merchant his integrity and credibility had to be second to none; as his customers had to rely on his word and credit in order to conduct prolonged business ventures across the ocean.
He had a natural talent for arranging gigantic and complex merchant operations across the ocean, so his appointment as Financier during the war’s most difficult economic years was a natural choice. He was a man of big risks and made many of them during his tenor as financier. If he couldn’t procure supplies through his public office, he often stepped in with his private reputation, and monies, to secure supplies for Washington’s armies.
His financial creativity takes the reader through dizzying layers of credits and bills, payable at different times and with different interest, but always never ending. It was as if the only way to finance the revolution was to gamble for a big win; and in the case of a loss, make another gamble for an even bigger win.
Unfortunately for Robert Morris, that gambling streak also followed him through his departure from public office in the form of land speculation. He constantly chased the next big score and spent more than he had, with the expectation that he’d become solvent soon enough. One of the most absurd moments was his venture to build Philadelphia’s largest mansion, even though he was virtually penniless, in an episode that came to be known as “Morris’ Folly”.
This book helps to understand just how important Robert Morris was to the American cause. Rappleye gives a fair assessment of Morris throughout, neither demonizing nor lionizing the man, and helps the reader gain a great appreciation for Morris’ contributions.
Morris was Philadelphia’s, and therefore North America’s, most prominent merchant prior to the revolution. As a merchant his integrity and credibility had to be second to none; as his customers had to rely on his word and credit in order to conduct prolonged business ventures across the ocean.
He had a natural talent for arranging gigantic and complex merchant operations across the ocean, so his appointment as Financier during the war’s most difficult economic years was a natural choice. He was a man of big risks and made many of them during his tenor as financier. If he couldn’t procure supplies through his public office, he often stepped in with his private reputation, and monies, to secure supplies for Washington’s armies.
His financial creativity takes the reader through dizzying layers of credits and bills, payable at different times and with different interest, but always never ending. It was as if the only way to finance the revolution was to gamble for a big win; and in the case of a loss, make another gamble for an even bigger win.
Unfortunately for Robert Morris, that gambling streak also followed him through his departure from public office in the form of land speculation. He constantly chased the next big score and spent more than he had, with the expectation that he’d become solvent soon enough. One of the most absurd moments was his venture to build Philadelphia’s largest mansion, even though he was virtually penniless, in an episode that came to be known as “Morris’ Folly”.
This book helps to understand just how important Robert Morris was to the American cause. Rappleye gives a fair assessment of Morris throughout, neither demonizing nor lionizing the man, and helps the reader gain a great appreciation for Morris’ contributions.
November 11, 2017
Robert Morris the financier of the American Revolution covers the life of an often forgotten about figure in American history. One that Charles Rappleye alleges is as important as Washington and Franklin to keep the revolution alive and on course. While Washington was the military and Franklin the diplomat, Morris represented the purse strings and functional bureaucrat that kept the government going during the days when congress was fleeing from city to city and not administering the civilian side of the confederation of States. Often funding things out of his own purse strings his methods attracted harsh criticism as either a war profiteer or the savior of the country. Morris who also founded the first national bank and helped shape the thinking of Hamilton on how a country should be fiscally run was a figure that came and went in the post revolutionary era until eventually ending up in debtors prison after land speculations went against him. He was the consummate entrepreneur of his time and this biography sheds light on someone that clearly played a pivotal role in the revolution. For those interested in the American Revolution this is a must read to fill in a critical gap of how Washington’s army did pay for the supplies it managed to get (even if they were precious few) and how the early financial history of America came about.
January 27, 2024
A funny thing happened when by happy accident I started reading Unlikely Allies: How a Merchant, a Playwright, and a Spy Saved the American Revolution and also Robert Morris: Financier of the American Revolution at the same time as both books are set in the same time period.
The first book is about how the efforts of Beaumarchais and Silas Deane to send munitions, uniforms and other supplies to support the American revolution. The second book is how Robert Morris tried to send tobacco ships to France in order to pay for them. Both books thus focus on different sides of the Atlantic and spend a lot of time with their subjects wondering why they haven't heard anything from the other and just what was going on. After a while I felt that if I could just get the two books to talk to one another all would be well!
This author likes, I think, his subject a little bit too much. Although he mentions the critiques of his contemporaries, Morris almost always has the last word.
He also suggests credit for things that he did not actually. For example, it was during the Revolution that the idea of creating a new currency based on the decimal system was invented. (Thank goodness or we might still be worried about pounds, shillings and pence, or even worse Spanish pieces of eight!) Most historians believe it was Gouverneur Morris (no relation) who first made this proposal, but this author does not ascribe an originator, leaving one to think that Robert Morris started the idea.
Sometimes he misses nuances. Discussing the pair of Madison and Hamilton, he says that while Madison was with Morris/Hamilton financial program in 1783, he moved against it in 1790. That's not entirely accurate. Madison was for some of the Morris measures, but always against the national bank. It's a long book, it wasn't necessary to gloss over a point this large. (For more on this topic, see The Power of the Purse by Ferguson, which the author admits to having read.)
On the Compromise of 1790, many popular histories (and the musical) only tell Jefferson's version of the story and omit all the complex negotiations that preceded his involvement. As Morris was a a big part of the negotiation, this book does a good job covering all of that.
Regarding his disasters in land speculation, the book only shows us cases of people who failed at it, subtly hinting that it was not so much their fault. But people like James Duane who succeeded at it are not mentioned.
That Morris owned slaves is barely touched upon.
An epilog kindly recounts the significant previous biographies in some detail. The author is at odds with Ferguson's history of revolutionary finance, in particular the suggestion that Morris may have taken advantage of his position as financier for personal gain. To counter that argument, he states that in the thousands of Morris papers published, there is no evidence of it. On the other hand, that's not the kind of thing one would find in a person's papers. That's the kind of document that's destroyed after reading. On the other hand, an independent auditor found that Morris had taken $80K of the government's money during the war. The author barely mentions this, pointing out that Morris always disputed it. However, Morris did pay the government back $93K after this was revealed, and this at a time when he badly needed money and was likely to go to debtor's prison, which eventually occurred.
Overall, what can we say about Morris? In his time, the smartest and most capable American in matters of finance and probably indispensable for managing the war, but also he did not stop his personal commercial activities while acting in government roles. This was explicitly approved by Congress because it enabled him to ship army supplies from France legally, for example, without explicitly violating France's treaty with Britain. He also helped Washington greatly in 1781 when he guaranteed various payments on his personal account. But when government and personal cargoes are on the same ship, and that ship goes down or has its contents captured, it gets tricky. It can be so easy to assign the losses to the government rather than to oneself. There's also a question of how he should have been rewarded for doing so much more than the office required, though officially there was no extra compensation for this. Did he justify hiding some profits to fix what he may have considered wrong? Further, he had considerable financial benefit because as the director of national finance, other merchants were much more willing to make deals with him.
In his later years he pushed his luck far too hard in buying millions of acres of land on credit. He was right that eventually the lands would be worth huge amounts, but dead wrong on the rate at which that would occur. He lost it all and wound up in prison. This also hurt not just his family, but many of his business partners.
Finally, a great deal of the program Hamilton put into place was invented by him, and likeminded Congressional delegates, in particular the ideas of a national bank, keeping the debts national, assuming those of the states, and paying them off via the tariff and sales of western lands. Indeed, when Washington formed the first government, it was his great friend Morris he turned to to become the first Treasury secretary. Morris was too embroiled in financial ventures at the time, and his first round doing this had not gone so well, so he recommended Hamilton. Washington was stunned as he had no idea that his young former aide knew anything about finance whatever.
So, like most founders, Morris was capable, sometimes brilliant, but not free of errors.
The first book is about how the efforts of Beaumarchais and Silas Deane to send munitions, uniforms and other supplies to support the American revolution. The second book is how Robert Morris tried to send tobacco ships to France in order to pay for them. Both books thus focus on different sides of the Atlantic and spend a lot of time with their subjects wondering why they haven't heard anything from the other and just what was going on. After a while I felt that if I could just get the two books to talk to one another all would be well!
This author likes, I think, his subject a little bit too much. Although he mentions the critiques of his contemporaries, Morris almost always has the last word.
He also suggests credit for things that he did not actually. For example, it was during the Revolution that the idea of creating a new currency based on the decimal system was invented. (Thank goodness or we might still be worried about pounds, shillings and pence, or even worse Spanish pieces of eight!) Most historians believe it was Gouverneur Morris (no relation) who first made this proposal, but this author does not ascribe an originator, leaving one to think that Robert Morris started the idea.
Sometimes he misses nuances. Discussing the pair of Madison and Hamilton, he says that while Madison was with Morris/Hamilton financial program in 1783, he moved against it in 1790. That's not entirely accurate. Madison was for some of the Morris measures, but always against the national bank. It's a long book, it wasn't necessary to gloss over a point this large. (For more on this topic, see The Power of the Purse by Ferguson, which the author admits to having read.)
On the Compromise of 1790, many popular histories (and the musical) only tell Jefferson's version of the story and omit all the complex negotiations that preceded his involvement. As Morris was a a big part of the negotiation, this book does a good job covering all of that.
Regarding his disasters in land speculation, the book only shows us cases of people who failed at it, subtly hinting that it was not so much their fault. But people like James Duane who succeeded at it are not mentioned.
That Morris owned slaves is barely touched upon.
An epilog kindly recounts the significant previous biographies in some detail. The author is at odds with Ferguson's history of revolutionary finance, in particular the suggestion that Morris may have taken advantage of his position as financier for personal gain. To counter that argument, he states that in the thousands of Morris papers published, there is no evidence of it. On the other hand, that's not the kind of thing one would find in a person's papers. That's the kind of document that's destroyed after reading. On the other hand, an independent auditor found that Morris had taken $80K of the government's money during the war. The author barely mentions this, pointing out that Morris always disputed it. However, Morris did pay the government back $93K after this was revealed, and this at a time when he badly needed money and was likely to go to debtor's prison, which eventually occurred.
Overall, what can we say about Morris? In his time, the smartest and most capable American in matters of finance and probably indispensable for managing the war, but also he did not stop his personal commercial activities while acting in government roles. This was explicitly approved by Congress because it enabled him to ship army supplies from France legally, for example, without explicitly violating France's treaty with Britain. He also helped Washington greatly in 1781 when he guaranteed various payments on his personal account. But when government and personal cargoes are on the same ship, and that ship goes down or has its contents captured, it gets tricky. It can be so easy to assign the losses to the government rather than to oneself. There's also a question of how he should have been rewarded for doing so much more than the office required, though officially there was no extra compensation for this. Did he justify hiding some profits to fix what he may have considered wrong? Further, he had considerable financial benefit because as the director of national finance, other merchants were much more willing to make deals with him.
In his later years he pushed his luck far too hard in buying millions of acres of land on credit. He was right that eventually the lands would be worth huge amounts, but dead wrong on the rate at which that would occur. He lost it all and wound up in prison. This also hurt not just his family, but many of his business partners.
Finally, a great deal of the program Hamilton put into place was invented by him, and likeminded Congressional delegates, in particular the ideas of a national bank, keeping the debts national, assuming those of the states, and paying them off via the tariff and sales of western lands. Indeed, when Washington formed the first government, it was his great friend Morris he turned to to become the first Treasury secretary. Morris was too embroiled in financial ventures at the time, and his first round doing this had not gone so well, so he recommended Hamilton. Washington was stunned as he had no idea that his young former aide knew anything about finance whatever.
So, like most founders, Morris was capable, sometimes brilliant, but not free of errors.
October 16, 2021
Robert Morris is among the most consequential figures of the Founders' generation about whom most Americans today know little, if anything. From his role as leader of the Continental Congress's Secret Committee (which armed and supplied the nascent Continental Army), through his tumultuous tenure as the nation's first Superintendent of Finance, to his years as a Senator from Pennsylvania in the first Congress, Morris was at the center of almost every critical event of the emerging nation, from supplying Washington with the arms that defeated the Hessians at Trenton to providing the pay that kept the army together as it marched to Yorktown, to the political deal-making that brought the Congress back to Philadelphia. Through the long years of war, Morris provided the financial life blood that helped keep together a divided, quarrelsome and insolvent confederacy. As the architect of the economic system that revived the nation's financial straits, Hamilton owed a great deal to Morris's capitalist vision of nationhood. Of course, Morris was far from a disinterested idealist. He was America's foremost merchant and investor whose enemies continually accused him of using his public office to achieve his private interests and win his personal fortune. Ironically, Morris died a poor man after his maniacal land speculation landed him in debtors prison. When he died, there were no parades, no public testimonials, no thanks from a grateful nation. Unfortunately, Americans of our generation have treated him with equal neglect. Rappleye, however, gives Morris the attention he deserves in this exhaustive and well researched account of his life and times, his crucial public service and political intrigues, and (ultimately) his self-destruction. This book is long and sometimes dull, I must admit, but well worth the effort for those of us who want to know more about the Founders other than the well studied "band of brothers."
January 20, 2018
Wonderful book. What a life! The founder no one has heard of. The man who financed the war, ran the embryonic national government (continental congress), stitched the colonies together with his financial plan and the man who gave us the first treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton!
From the richest and most influential merchant on the continent to debtors prison...a life worth a blockbuster movie and a broadway show!
To quote the end when Morris writes to his partner “My money is gone, my furniture is to be sold, I am to go to prison and my family to starve. Good night.”
The same man who floated ‘Morris Notes’ and put his personal credit on the line to help fund the war effort...what an ending!
Back in Jan 2006 I had sent this quiz to a few friends (it was not very articulate so pardon the errors).
“He was known as the “financier of the revolution”
(Who)
One of the few, maybe only two to sign three historic
documentations:
A declaration, an “articles” & the last, a product of
a convention (What)
A famous painting of the first is [printed] on its reverse found here (Where)
He made most of his money by a twist of fate (How)
He was criticized later for making more money [from the revolution] (Why)”
[] add now in 2018 for clarity.
I did not find a book about him back then - but I happily blundered into this book at the library earlier this month while looking for something else. What a find!
From the richest and most influential merchant on the continent to debtors prison...a life worth a blockbuster movie and a broadway show!
To quote the end when Morris writes to his partner “My money is gone, my furniture is to be sold, I am to go to prison and my family to starve. Good night.”
The same man who floated ‘Morris Notes’ and put his personal credit on the line to help fund the war effort...what an ending!
Back in Jan 2006 I had sent this quiz to a few friends (it was not very articulate so pardon the errors).
“He was known as the “financier of the revolution”
(Who)
One of the few, maybe only two to sign three historic
documentations:
A declaration, an “articles” & the last, a product of
a convention (What)
A famous painting of the first is [printed] on its reverse found here (Where)
He made most of his money by a twist of fate (How)
He was criticized later for making more money [from the revolution] (Why)”
[] add now in 2018 for clarity.
I did not find a book about him back then - but I happily blundered into this book at the library earlier this month while looking for something else. What a find!
September 10, 2021
There is a reason there is no musical called "Morris." He was the epitome of what we have come to think of "Founding Fathers" - white, rich men. (think Scrooge McDuck as a human) He did some good things - was a really good administrator as the government was getting started, championed a national bank, suggested Hamilton to Washington, and saved the Revolution's financial bacon on more than one occasion. That said, he also owned slaves and he made some really questionable personal financial choices that ultimately sent him to debtors' prison for a few years. Apparently, he was quite popular in the era of the robber barons - and rightfully is less so now. I bought this book accidently (had a Groupon and got confused on his name) and it was about 500 pages about taking out loans, but I am still glad I read it and learned about a complicated person who is part of the story of early America.
May 29, 2022
This is a tome on a little known figure in present day. In his time though, Robert Morris could count Washington, Franklin, Hamilton and the Treasury as his intimates. History’s myths have him financing the Revolution out of his own pocket. Even if true, in the end, his last years were spent in Debtors prison as he turns himself in to the authorities while his famous contemporaries accomplished honored deaths. From riches to rags, the book tells a familiar story and poses an ultimate question: did Morris make the Revolution or did the Revolution make Morris? The reader is left to decide which I like, but ultimately the book (at almost 550 pages) was a bit meandering in the middle. Morris was often loss in the broader narrative of the Revolution. The book finishes strong though, and while originally a 2.5 most of the way, it earned 3 stars for its fantastic wrap-up about a critical yet forgotten revolutionary.
November 16, 2019
I am giving this book four stars because it was not as entertaining as, say, McCullough's books. However, given the subject matter, it really couldn't have been. Nevertheless, this is an important read for anyone who wishes to understand the founding fathers.
I come away understanding without a doubt that the three most important founding fathers were Washington, Franklin, and Robert Morris. Without these three, we would have lost the revolution. I am convinced that no one could have replaced them. Hamilton and Madison were important, but not nearly as crucial as Morris. J. Adams, S. Adams, and Marshall made great contributions, but if they hadn't been there, someone else would have stepped in. Not so concerning Washington, Franklin, and Morris.
This book was packed full of detail, and it had to be. To date, it is the most important book that I have read on the revolution.
I come away understanding without a doubt that the three most important founding fathers were Washington, Franklin, and Robert Morris. Without these three, we would have lost the revolution. I am convinced that no one could have replaced them. Hamilton and Madison were important, but not nearly as crucial as Morris. J. Adams, S. Adams, and Marshall made great contributions, but if they hadn't been there, someone else would have stepped in. Not so concerning Washington, Franklin, and Morris.
This book was packed full of detail, and it had to be. To date, it is the most important book that I have read on the revolution.
January 8, 2018
A very good and interesting biography of one of the relatively unknown heroes of the American War for Independence. Morris was a businessman, entrepreneur, and financier who helped arrange financing for the fledgling colonial army; often having to pull rabbits out of a hat. The biography covers his entire life, including is childhood, the events that led him to go into business, his successes and the resulting resources that allowed him to assist Washington, and his later-in-life failures, including imprisonment as a result of his debts. An interesting read for those who would like to learn about a little-discussed, but extremely important contributor to America's effort to gain independence.
November 9, 2022
This was a very enjoyable read and a comprehensive treatment. Creeping around the edges are some old-man-style ranting against anyone who questions the invisible hand, but those whispers are nothing compared to the haymakers thrown in the epilogue about the damage done to serious history by the progressive era. Nerd fight! And a good one! (But taking shots at my boy sumner seems like punching down, just sayin). The prose throughout is enjoyable and I felt good learning as it went along. Does it have a theme? I dunno. How about: you say you want a revolution, well you better be ready to kite a few dozen checks.
February 3, 2024
A long biography and a history of the financing of the American Revolutionary War. Author demonstrates the critical role Morris played in financing the American revolutionary war and many of his innovations and influences that helped the country succeed after the Revolution and in the participation of the Constitutional Convention. Morris eventually went bankrupt and is not credited, as he should be, as a key founder of the country.
January 1, 2024
An interesting book that correctly places Morris as one of the key financial architects among the founding fathers. In part trying to restore Morris who has been painted as a counterrevolutionary by progressive historians, this text maybe does too much to move past what at times clearly looks like self-dealing. Overall though, an impressive history of an often overlooked founder.
June 19, 2018
Exhaustive account of the life of Robert Morris. I suspect this is too much information for most readers.
July 13, 2018
A look at the man who help supply arms, food , money and clothes to keep the Revolution from failing and has become a forgotten person.
December 29, 2015
Robert Morris seems to be the Trotsky of the American Revolution, i.e., a central player who has been carefully edited out of all the accounts. This book aims to rectify that.
In fact it is pretty well known that finance and supplies were the biggest problems of the revolutionary period, since the states refused to pay taxes to support the effort, and had no established credit abroad. Nevertheless somebody had to produce money and material with which to fight, and that somebody turned out to be Robert Morris.
Morris was the most successful trader of the time, which meant he was tireless and a master of the byzantine maneuvers necessary to carry out trade in those days of slow communication, highly variable monetary units, and frequent piracy. The book does a good job of conveying the extreme complexity of import/export operations and finance at that time, and how Morris put his mastery of both, along with his own established credit, to the service of the revolution. It seems there was literally nobody else in the colonies at that time who possessed the necessary skills, and (according to this book) Morris essentially ran the entire revolutionary government at several crucial junctures.
Dealing as it does with so many intricate machinations of finance and trade, the book is a little bit dry at times, and the personality of Morris does not really shine through. We learn that he was very gregarious and loved to host dinners and parties, but don't get much idea of what sort of things he might have said at those occasions. The general impression is kind of a backslapper and "good 'ol boy", but with an industrious northern twist.
Clearly he loved to work, and he loved to work at making money. He has been criticized for mixing his own business with that of the revolution during those chaotic times, and undoubtedly he did, but according to the book this was mostly unavoidable, and he almost certainly made much less money than he would have pursuing trade unrelated to the revolution.
A certain hubris is also evident, particularly in the post-revolutionary period; this caused him to over-extend and ultimately led to financial ruin and a long stay in debtor's prison. This ignominious end, along with his focus on dreary matters of trade and finance rather than inspiring political rhetoric, are probably the main causes of his neglect in the history books.
At any rate he clearly played an enormous role in the revolution, equal to that of any of the other founding fathers. Anyone who picks up this book knowing as little as I did about him cannot fail to have their view of that entire time period altered considerably.
In fact it is pretty well known that finance and supplies were the biggest problems of the revolutionary period, since the states refused to pay taxes to support the effort, and had no established credit abroad. Nevertheless somebody had to produce money and material with which to fight, and that somebody turned out to be Robert Morris.
Morris was the most successful trader of the time, which meant he was tireless and a master of the byzantine maneuvers necessary to carry out trade in those days of slow communication, highly variable monetary units, and frequent piracy. The book does a good job of conveying the extreme complexity of import/export operations and finance at that time, and how Morris put his mastery of both, along with his own established credit, to the service of the revolution. It seems there was literally nobody else in the colonies at that time who possessed the necessary skills, and (according to this book) Morris essentially ran the entire revolutionary government at several crucial junctures.
Dealing as it does with so many intricate machinations of finance and trade, the book is a little bit dry at times, and the personality of Morris does not really shine through. We learn that he was very gregarious and loved to host dinners and parties, but don't get much idea of what sort of things he might have said at those occasions. The general impression is kind of a backslapper and "good 'ol boy", but with an industrious northern twist.
Clearly he loved to work, and he loved to work at making money. He has been criticized for mixing his own business with that of the revolution during those chaotic times, and undoubtedly he did, but according to the book this was mostly unavoidable, and he almost certainly made much less money than he would have pursuing trade unrelated to the revolution.
A certain hubris is also evident, particularly in the post-revolutionary period; this caused him to over-extend and ultimately led to financial ruin and a long stay in debtor's prison. This ignominious end, along with his focus on dreary matters of trade and finance rather than inspiring political rhetoric, are probably the main causes of his neglect in the history books.
At any rate he clearly played an enormous role in the revolution, equal to that of any of the other founding fathers. Anyone who picks up this book knowing as little as I did about him cannot fail to have their view of that entire time period altered considerably.
January 13, 2016
As a biography, it's rather lacking. We zip through his childhood and origins in less than ten pages. A lovechild randomly pops up with no explanation whatsoever. We get hints here and there about his personality, but you can't help but to wonder if his enemies were so passionate because he really was a jerk and a crook.
Where it shines the most is showing a hidden history of the Founding Fathers. We have this rosy image of the American Revolution being a noble endeavor. In reality, it was incredibly messy.
There was a lot of petty personal politics. Soldiers literally starved and froze to death while incompetent politicians bickered in committees. Money was worthless. The early government was powerless. The states refused to pony up money. Morris had to finance a lot of the war with his own personal credit. Congress almost had to flee because of mutinous soldiers.
Crony capitalism isn't just an issue today. It's always existed. Morris was pretty much the first person to go through the revolving door (business to government to business). Speculators made out like bandits on military contracts, foreign trade, land deals and currency speculation.
That's the real dirty secret. America was founded on greed. Look at the Founding Fathers. They weren't working-class revolutionaries. They were overwhelmingly rich. Slave-owning aristocrats (Washington, Jefferson). Lawyers (John Adams). Celebrities (Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine). Their idea of freedom was the right to avoid paying taxes.
Where it shines the most is showing a hidden history of the Founding Fathers. We have this rosy image of the American Revolution being a noble endeavor. In reality, it was incredibly messy.
There was a lot of petty personal politics. Soldiers literally starved and froze to death while incompetent politicians bickered in committees. Money was worthless. The early government was powerless. The states refused to pony up money. Morris had to finance a lot of the war with his own personal credit. Congress almost had to flee because of mutinous soldiers.
Crony capitalism isn't just an issue today. It's always existed. Morris was pretty much the first person to go through the revolving door (business to government to business). Speculators made out like bandits on military contracts, foreign trade, land deals and currency speculation.
That's the real dirty secret. America was founded on greed. Look at the Founding Fathers. They weren't working-class revolutionaries. They were overwhelmingly rich. Slave-owning aristocrats (Washington, Jefferson). Lawyers (John Adams). Celebrities (Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine). Their idea of freedom was the right to avoid paying taxes.
October 10, 2012
A very thorough and informative book about one of the most industrious and hardest working of the founding fathers. He rarely gets the credit that were paid to Franklin and Washington et al, but his work in several secret committees and as the Executive of the interregnum Congress (in between the Revolution and the Constitution) was crucial. He is not as famous as his peers due to some very harsh enemies in the Congress, and he also greatly over-extended his credit during the land speculation craze in the 1790s-1800s. He spent several years in debtors prison before he died.
His story is of utmost importance to understand the challenges the rebels had in establishing a new country. Unfortunately, a lot of the actions that Morris took were very technical in a financial, and sometimes legal, way, and this book tends to be a bit dry (It's fun to read about battles and campaigns; not so much about the quartermasters and paymasters).
His story is of utmost importance to understand the challenges the rebels had in establishing a new country. Unfortunately, a lot of the actions that Morris took were very technical in a financial, and sometimes legal, way, and this book tends to be a bit dry (It's fun to read about battles and campaigns; not so much about the quartermasters and paymasters).
December 11, 2010
Excellent richly detailed biography of one of the Founding Fathers. He did not leave a body of writings as did Jefferson, Madison, et al., but rather did the hands-on running of the infant rebel government. Difficult to judge him by today's business ethics standards, but book clarifies his role as a private businessman/speculator serving simultaneously as the "Superintendant" and the "Financier," both official titles he possessed in revolutionary government. Also there is sufficent personal detail to make the subject human. Life and career ended in ruin, but accomplishments should be recognized.
July 10, 2014
A very good book about an interesting founding father who is lost to history to all but a few. Robert Morris financed the American Revolution on seemingly sheer will and his own personal credit. He helped found the first national bank and was one of the richest men in American. But his overconfidence and lust for money eventually led to his downfall and imprisonment for debt.
This biography gives a balanced view on Robert Morris's accomplishments and his failures. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn about the American Revolution outside of the battles and George Washington.
This biography gives a balanced view on Robert Morris's accomplishments and his failures. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn about the American Revolution outside of the battles and George Washington.
March 29, 2015
Charles Rappleye does a fantastic job of bringing to light the vital importance Robert Morris played in the American Revolution specifically around finance. He examines the delicate relationship played between the intertwining spheres of business and politics. Very relevant for today. The contributions made to the revolution were critical in the success of George Washington who tends to get an unfair share of the credit. Also the ideas of Alexander Hamilton would not have been possible without the pioneering spirit and passion of Robert Morris. An overall good read!
February 29, 2016
This thorough biography of founding father Robert Morris provides the answers to how the American government functioned from Independence to the adoption of the U. S. Constitution. The success of the noble experiment that created the United States came about largely due to the fact that Robert Morris used every trick in his business acumen to finance George Washington's army. This book rightly raises Morris to his deserved place as one of the essential founders, without whom we'd likely still be British subjects.
May 2, 2011
This is a fascinating biography of a man that I knew very little about before picking up this book. While this book is very dense and detailed (sometime too detailed), it gives a very different viewpoint of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States government. This book primarily focuses on the financial aspect of the time period and very important role that Robert Morris played in the creation of the American financial system.
February 10, 2015
This was an interesting book about a major Founding Father, that most people have never heard of. Robert Morris was one of the most successful merchants of his day, and was the man who financed the American Revolution. Morris was a good friend of George Washington, and did everything that he could to raise funds and support the army. In his later years, Morris ended up getting into things way over his head, mostly on land speculation, and ended up spending over three years in debtors prison.
August 7, 2016
Bobby Moe, as they say in Pittsburgh, was a much appreciated book. We have a university named after him in Pittsburgh, but I never knew much about him. The book started out novel like in his upbringing, but became a little more prosaic as the Revolutionary War got going, and all the detail of business and government deals became more the story line. It was a really good angle to read revolutionary war history, learning the finance of the war.
December 27, 2019
Difficult book to follow as its filled with minute info on finances. It could have easily been 200 pages shorter.
For people who are into financing and numbers, they will find a lot to enjoy from the biography of the man who single handedly funded the American Revolution. For those looking for an enjoyable read, it wont be found here.
For people who are into financing and numbers, they will find a lot to enjoy from the biography of the man who single handedly funded the American Revolution. For those looking for an enjoyable read, it wont be found here.
February 4, 2012
Good biography. A must read is the epilogue where Rappleye answers historians who have misjudged Morris.
September 8, 2013
A very detailed and informative biography of a Founding Father. A Founder only exceeded in importance by George Washington, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin to the success of a fledging republic.
Want to read
February 14, 2016Reviewed in Barron's 6-6-11
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