The archive · 8 documentaries

Every story, on the record.

Each episode comes with its chapters, the full narration and every source we used. Filter by era or by subject.

Smoot-Hawley: The Tariff Nobody Actually Voted ForNo. 00810:43
Crises1930 – 1934

Smoot-Hawley: The Tariff Nobody Actually Voted For

The Smoot-Hawley Tariff became more burdensome as prices collapsed during the Great Depression. But Congress never voted on that extra increase.

The Spanish Treasure Fleets: How Silver Ruined SpainNo. 00711:08
Inflation1545 – 1650

The Spanish Treasure Fleets: How Silver Ruined Spain

The Spanish piece of eight never lost a grain of silver in three centuries. It was the most trusted coin on Earth, legal tender from Amsterdam to Manila to…

118 Elements Tried to Be Money. Only Gold Survived.No. 00610:45
GoldThe periodic table, 1884, 2011

118 Elements Tried to Be Money. Only Gold Survived.

Out of one hundred and eighteen elements on the periodic table, humanity ended up using one as money.

The Economics of the Roman Empire's CollapseNo. 00510:49
Inflation27 BC – AD 312

The Economics of the Roman Empire's Collapse

The economics of the Roman Empire's collapse, explained through one object: a Roman silver coin from the year two hundred and seventy that has almost no…

The Great Depression Explained: The Money That VanishedNo. 0049:32
Crises1929 – 1933

The Great Depression Explained: The Money That Vanished

The Great Depression explained through the part most retellings leave out: between 1929 and 1933, roughly one-third of America’s money supply disappeared.

The Complete History of Banking: From Temples to AppsNo. 00311:50
Bankingc. 2000 BC – 2008

The Complete History of Banking: From Temples to Apps

The complete history of banking, from the clay-tablet loans of ancient Mesopotamian temples to the banking app on your phone.

What Is Money, Really? The Ultimate Guide to Currency and ValueNo. 00210:10
OriginsYap to the digital yuan

What Is Money, Really? The Ultimate Guide to Currency and Value

What is money, really? A hundred-dollar bill is just cotton and linen with ink on it, and yet people trade hours of their lives for it.

The Complete History of Money: From Barter to BitcoinNo. 00110:23
Originsc. 6000 BC – today

The Complete History of Money: From Barter to Bitcoin

Money did not start with coins or paper bills. It started with a problem: barter's double coincidence of wants.