History is the study of the past and how it relates to the human experience.

Marie Antoinette Said, “Let them Eat Cake.”


Let them eat cake

Marie Antoinette never said “let them eat cake”. The idea of royalty suggesting peasants eat cake is an old myth that can be traced to Rousseau’s Confessions, a Spanish Princess, and even a Chinese emperor.

The Birth of Modern Banking

The Birth of Banking

Modern banking originated in Italy around 1150 as Jews fleeing persecution brought new practices, including “discounting”, to the merchant banks of the Italian piazzas.