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The Net Worth of the US Federal Government, 1784–1802

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  • Farley Grubb

Abstract

The War for Independence (1775-1783) left the federal government deeply in debt. The spoils from winning that war also gave it an empire of land. So, post-1783 was the federal government solvent, or at what point did it become solvent? Did winning the war, in effect, pay for the war? While these questions have not been addressed before, knowing the answer is important for understanding why a particular method was chosen for funding the national debt, how the new Constitution adopted by Congress in 1789 affected public finance, and how this new untried government - that was deeply in debt and had been in default on this debt for half a decade after independence - could garner an excellent credit rating by the early 1790s. Evidence is gathered on the government's liabilities and assets to estimate its net worth and so answer these questions.
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  • Farley Grubb, 2007. "The Net Worth of the US Federal Government, 1784–1802," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(2), pages 280-284, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:97:y:2007:i:2:p:280-284
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.97.2.280
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Farley Grubb, 2005. "The Net Asset Position of the U.S. National Government, 1784-1802: Hamilton's Blessing or the Spoils of War?," NBER Working Papers 11868, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Grubb, Farley, 2006. "The US Constitution and monetary powers: an analysis of the 1787 constitutional convention and the constitutional transformation of the US monetary system," Financial History Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 13(01), pages 43-71, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Farley Grubb, 2010. "US Land Policy: Founding Choices and Outcomes, 1781–1802," NBER Chapters, in: Founding Choices: American Economic Policy in the 1790s, pages 259-289, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Farley Grubb, 2008. "The Continental Dollar: What Happened to It after 1779?," Working Papers 08-09, University of Delaware, Department of Economics.

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