One Nation Under Debt

On September 4, 2008, Robert E. Wright delivered a Banner Lecture on his book, "Virginia: Catalyst of Commerce for Four Centuries." The United States was born in debt. Was this obligation a vital tool for forging national unity, or a monstrous burden? In "One Nation Under Debt: Hamilton, Jefferson, and the History of What We Owe," Robert E. Wright follows our nation's debt from the founding to the credit crisis of today. A compelling and witty storyteller, Wright shows how the past can illuminate current financial woes. Dr. Wright teaches history at New York University's Stern School of Business. This lecture was a program of the VHS's Reynolds Business History Center. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.