From "promises to pay" on ancient Babylonian tablets to the insolvency of present-day consumerist America, this program explains the origins of credit and debt and why credit networks are central to civilization. Historian Niall Ferguson examines financial transactions recorded in cuneiform; the transition from Roman numerals to Arabic symbols for greater speed and efficiency among medieval Italian bankers; notions surrounding the practice of usury during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance; and the rise of the Medici, who built their family's fortune as foreign exchange dealers. The program ties into contemporary issues by visiting Memphis, Tennessee - an epicenter of barbecue and bankruptcies. Distributed under license from BBC Worldwide. A part of the series, "The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World."

Films Media Group

Fibonacci, Leonardo, ca. 1170-ca. 1240, Credit--History, Money--History, Interest--History, Debt--History, Usury--History, Banks and banking--Italy--Florence--History, Medici, House of, Economy/Business, World history

The ascent of money: a financial history of the world

Ferguson, Niall, Potts, Joanna, Danon, Orly, Aukema, Dewald, Severin, Steven, Chimerica Media, Educational Broadcasting Corporation, Channel Four (Great Britain), Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Firm)

00:47:19 (HH:MM:SS)

English

Higher education

Name	Films Media Group (Firm)
Role	Publisher
Telephone	800-257-5126
Address	200 Metro Blvd., Suite 124, Hamilton, NJ 08619
Email	[email protected]

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