Financial Context Nathan Beauvais

Nate & Dan continue discuss the history of railroads in America. In the month's episode, they talk about the story of the second transcontinental railroad which essential bankrupted one of the country's richest men, Jay Cooke. 

In this month's episode, Nate and Dan recall one of the most corrupt events in American history. At the time it was started, no one believed that the Transcontinental Railroad would be profitable. The federal government had to put up the cash for the project initially. And when the government sponsors such a huge project, the cash starts flowing - and many times in unintended directions. 

In 1868 two of the country's most powerful and wealthiest men battled it out for control of the Erie Railway. Cornelius Vanderbilt and Daniel Drew were the epitome of "frenemies". They were also not shy about bribing lawmakers and the politicians were happy to take their cash. 

In part two of this conversation Nate and Dan talk about how the gold standard in the US began to wane beginning with Great Depression and ending when President Nixon official cut the link. 

Today's monetary systems is nothing like the past. In this month FC podcast, Nate and Dan examine the very long transition from a gold standard to a fiat currency in US. In part one, the guys talk about how the gold standard functioned in the time period before the Great Depression. 

After the clergy took control of Iran in 1979, chaos ensued throughout global oil markets. In this month's podcast Nate and Dan pick up where they left off and discuss how and why oil prices more than doubled in the early 1980s and the mechanism for the demand destruction the eventually brought prices back in balance.