HISTORY LESSON Our founding capitalist Modern banking owes Robert Morris a debt of gratitude. For the American Revolution to be won, it needed to be well financed. That's where Robert Morris came in. But even many bankers may not know much about the merchant who was a major force behind the bankrolling of the Continental Army and the country's financial system at large. In fact, Morris personally paid the troops one month's salary before the war's final battle, the battle of Yorktown. Once the United States became an independent nation, Morris set to work in helping the brand-new country get its financial house in order. He served as superintendent of finance and helped open the Bank of North America in 1781, which stabilized the economy and became a model for our current banking system. The contemporary historian Thomas Goddard praised Morris for his " vigorous mind and enterprising genius, " referring to him as the father of the U.S. system of credit and paper circulation. -Julie Kendrick A statue of Robert Morris resides in Philadelphia's historic district. Photo by Visions of America, LLC / Alamy Stock Photo