The King of the Alley: William Duer, Politician, Entrepreneur, and Speculator, 1768-1799

Robert Francis Jones

Jan 1992 · Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society Book 202 · American Philosophical Society

About this ebook

William Duer belonged to the middle ranks of those who led America to success in her struggle for independence, standing just behind such men as John Jay and Robert R. Livingston. Duer, as a member of the N.Y. State Convention and the Continental Congress, as Sec. to the Board of Treasury under the Confed. and Assist. to the Sec. of the Treasury when the fed. govt. was organized, had a role in all the significant changes which occurred during the revolutionary period. Yet interspersed with his public career was his career as a stock speculator, land promoter, army contractor, and merchant. Duer never tired of trying to combine public office with private profit. This is the first full scale study of Duer's entire career, although, due to lack of material about his personal life, it should not be taken as a biography.

About the author

Robert F. Jones is the author of seven highly acclaimed novels, including "Blood Sport", & five works of nonfiction, including "Dancers in the Sunset Sky", a collection of sporting essays. His work has appeared in "Sports Afield", "Men's Journal", "Outdoor Life", "Big Sky Journal", "Audubon", "Time", "Sports Illustrated", "Life", "People", "Harper's", "Fly Rod & Reel", "The New York Times", & "Shooting Sportsman". He lives in West Rupert, Vermont.