About this episode

The episode explores the life of Harry Dexter White and his role in establishing the US Dollar as the world's leading currency post-World War Two.

This is the story of the most important person you've probably never heard of. The man who made the dollar the centre of the world. And America along with it. His name is Harry Dexter White and, as an economist at the Treasury, he had a vision of how to ensure another conflict like World War Two would never happen again. To do that he had to upend the whole structure of the world financial system - and make the US Dollar the most important currency on Earth. Standing in his way was the greatest celebrity economist of all time, John Maynard Keynes. The battle between these two men - and Harry Dexter White’s eventual victory - would come to define the next 80 years of world history. And yet, just a few years later, this visionary economist - the man who changed the world - would be dead. Branded as a traitor to his country. Accused of being the worst thing an American could be accused of - a Soviet Spy. In Series 2 of Invisible Hands: The American Century, David Dimbleby tells the story of how, in the middle of the 20th century, America became a superpower and shaped the world around it. It began with a vision. A vision born out of the ashes of World War Two. A vision of a world…

People in this episode

Host: David Dimbleby

Topics covered

• American history
• economics
• World War Two
• financial systems
• superpower
• Cold War

Keywords

• Harry Dexter White
• John Maynard Keynes
• US Dollar
• financial system
• superpower
• World War Two
• economics
• Cold War

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC Radio 4

Places: America, United States

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