The Founders' Fortunes

How Money Shaped the Birth of America

By: Willard Sterne Randall

Narrated by: Steve Hendrickson

An illuminating financial history of the Founding Fathers, revealing how their personal finances shaped the Constitution and the new nation

In 1776, upon the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers concluded America’s most consequential document with a curious note, pledging “our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor”. Lives and honor did indeed hang in the balance, yet just what were their fortunes? How much did the Founders stand to gain or lose through independence? And what lingering consequences did their respective financial stakes have on liberty, justice, and the fate of the fledgling United States of America?

In this landmark account, historian Willard Sterne Randall investigates the private financial affairs of the Founders, illuminating like never before how and why the Revolution came about. The Founders’ Fortunes uncovers how these leaders waged war, crafted a constitution, and forged a new nation influenced in part by their own financial interests. In an era where these very issues have become daily national questions, the result is a remarkable and insightful new understanding of our nation’s bedrock values.

©2022 Willard Sterne Randall (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Randall’s dry wit drives the true stories of French police searching Ben Franklin's underwear and Sam Adams’ beer career… Randall’s clear, engaging account reveals the effects of money on the founding of the U.S. and offers a useful look at colonial history.” (Booklist, starred review)

“The narrative is well written and packed with human interest, providing a valuable update to the Revolutionary-era history many readers may not have studied since high school…A vivid history of how America paid for its Revolution and why the Founding Fathers made the decisions they did.” (Kirkus, starred review)

“The adage ‘follow the money’ was as true in the Revolutionary era as in our own. By examining the dollars-and-cents (or pounds-and-pence) side of events, Willard Sterne Randall offers a refreshing perspective on the nation’s founding. Translating values into our own currency gives us an appreciation of, for example, Ben Franklin’s $110,000 salary (in today’s dollars) as postmaster general; or Martha Custis’ nearly $4 million fortune when she married George Washington; to say nothing of the staggering British national debt of $20 trillion. The Founders’ Fortunes is an eminently readable book with the sharp vignettes and incisive character portraits that bring history to life.” (Jack Kelly, author of Valcour: The 1776 Campaign That Saved the Cause of Liberty)

Narrative history that demands analytical history

Randall is a terrific narrative historian, as demonstrated in many earlier books. In this book, the promise of the subtitle, "How Money Shaped the Birth of America," is not fulfilled by this approach to the facts. It requires a greater focus on analysis & economic history. There are many other works that take such an approach, although I cannot point to a specific one that is available on Audible. To be sure there is plenty about money in this book, Randall's persistence in converting the ancient dollar & pound amounts into current dollars is helpful. The narration by Hendrickson is very good.