The money supply in historical perspective -- Beyond monetary policy -- The development of a specie standard -- The U.S. banks and antebellum panics -- Greenbacks, gold, and silver purchases -- The national banking system -- Reform proposals and legislation -- The early Federal Reserve -- The...

A disparity exists between mainstream perception and reality with regard to American economic history. There is widespread belief among the public, media, and even some scholars that the U.S. amassed its wealth and prosperity from the adoption of exclusively free-market principles from the onset...