the eye of Nova's mind

lameautarch started me watching the first 45 minutes of The Money Masters, available on YouTube & Google Video (Parts 1 & 2). We'd been talking about history (as we are wont to do), and he got me questioning things like why exactly did the U.S. enter the War of 1812?

Much of my knowledge of American history is comprised of what happened after the Civil War, so I didn't really have an answer for him. Even though I have a good footing on what has taken place since Reconstruction, I still have gaps--I'm not as familiar with the early 1900s, for example. I don't know exactly what social forces converged to allow the passage of the Federal Reserve Act, or even why the Amendment mandating income taxes was constitutionalized. A lot of 20th-century history was "old hat" for my educators, as much was in their (or their parents') lived experience.

Since our last conversation, I've had a renewed interest to pursue those breaks in my understanding. I think Money Masters, while obviously biased, provides a hearty skepticism toward an issue that is quite opaque to most citizens. In that regard, it is highly valuable, and I am in lameautarch's debt for his introduction to the source.