<description>&lt;p&gt;Two-hundred-and-fifty years ago George Washington was fighting the Revolutionary War against the British, but Robert Morris doing something just as vital. He was raising money for the fighting and buying the gunpowder, tents, food and uniforms Washington's army needed.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Morris had been a merchant before the revolution, so didn't see why he shouldn't personally profit from his work supplying the colonists' struggle. He emerged from the war as a rich man and owned huge tracts of land. But the turbulent final years of the 18th Century saw Morris go first into substantial debt and then fall into utter ruin.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Write to us at&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="mailto:businesshistory@pushkin.fm"&gt;businesshistory@pushkin.fm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener"&gt;omnystudio.com/listener&lt;/a&gt; for privacy information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Business History

Pushkin Industries

The Founding Father Who Got Rich in the Revolution

MAY 27, 202647 MIN
Business History

The Founding Father Who Got Rich in the Revolution

MAY 27, 202647 MIN

Description

Two-hundred-and-fifty years ago George Washington was fighting the Revolutionary War against the British, but Robert Morris doing something just as vital. He was raising money for the fighting and buying the gunpowder, tents, food and uniforms Washington's army needed.  Morris had been a merchant before the revolution, so didn't see why he shouldn't personally profit from his work supplying the colonists' struggle. He emerged from the war as a rich man and owned huge tracts of land. But the turbulent final years of the 18th Century saw Morris go first into substantial debt and then fall into utter ruin.      Write to us at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.