Hamilton, Burr and their banks

My newest at Research: "A Tale of Origins," on how outsized personalities and political tumult created some major financial institutions. Excerpt:

When Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr dueled at dawn on July 11, 1804, the fight was not just between a former Treasury secretary and a sitting vice president, two political heavyweights of the early American republic. It was also between two founders of major financial institutions that are still in existence (following mergers and name changes) over two centuries later.

Indeed, the animosity that led to the duel that took Hamilton’s life and turned Burr into a political outcast was exacerbated by their respective roles in setting up some of America’s first financial firms.

Whole thing here. Also, I'll be discussing this article on the Gabe Wisdom Show on Wed., 5/26 at 7pm ET, which can be listened to by radio or Internet at the show link and later here.