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From 1781 to 1784, he served as the Superintendent of Finance of the United States, becoming known as the "Financier of the Revolution." Along with Alexander Hamilton and Albert Gallatin, he is widely regarded as one of the founders of the financial system of the United States.
Robert Morris was an American merchant and banker who came to be known as the financier of the American Revolution (1775–83). Morris left England to join his father in Maryland in 1747 and then entered a mercantile house in Philadelphia. During the war, Morris was vice president of the Pennsylvania.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- More Than A Merchant
- A Reluctant Revolutionary
- Morris Becomes A One-Man Treasury
- Morris Becomes Subject of First Congressional Inquiry
- From Real Estate Speculation to Debtor’S Prison
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Morris was born in Liverpool, England in 1734 and as a young teenager followed his father, a successful tobacco merchant, to the New World. Orphaned at age 16—his father was killed in a freak accidentinvolving a fly and a misfired cannon—Morris had only one year of formal education before he began apprenticing as a clerk in Philadelphia. “From a yo...
Morris was nominated as a delegate from Pennsylvania to the Second Continental Congress, but even with his staunch opposition to the Stamp Act and the Intolerable Acts, Morris didn’t initially support independence from Britain. He favored continued negotiations with Parliament rather than starting a war with the world’s greatest military power. Whe...
The War for Independence was a financial as well as a military struggle. The 1777 Articles of Confederation, the country’s first constitution, allowed Congress to request funds from the states, but didn’t require the states to comply. Troops went for months without pay while Congress begged the states and European allies for loans. On the brink of ...
While Morris put his own substantial fortune and resources on the line to supply food and weaponry for the war effort, he conducted much of the overseas trade through his own businesses, which earned handsome profits. But questions about that relationship lingered. After the Constitution was ratified and Morris was elected Senator from Pennsylvania...
After the dust-up with Congress, Morris left political life and returned to his original passion, making money. He had tremendous faith in the new nation and its ability to make his family richer than he had ever imagined. Morris got his hand in just about every industry and profit scheme. He built a factory town along the Delaware River in Pennsyl...
Learn how Robert Morris, a self-made millionaire from Philadelphia, helped fund the American Revolution and signed all three founding documents. Discover how he became a debtor after the war and his role in the first congressional inquiry.
- Dave Roos
- 1 min
Mar 18, 2020 · Learn about Robert Morris, a merchant, politician, and signer of the Declaration of Independence, who played a crucial role in funding the American Revolution. Find out how he used his personal credit, trade networks, and diplomacy to support the Continental Army and the new nation.
Dec 20, 2010 · Founding Father Robert Morris was a laissez-faire capitalist and subject of perhaps the first American congressional inquiry. In Robert Morris: Financier of the American Revolution,...
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Feb 14, 2020 · Learn about Robert Morris, a wealthy merchant who funded the American Revolution and signed the Declaration of Independence. Find out his early life, political career, and contributions to the new nation.
Robert Morris was a Founding Father of the United States, known for his critical role in financing the American Revolution and managing the fledgling nation’s economy. He served as the Superintendent of Finance from 1781 to 1784, effectively acting as the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury.
