Robert Morris

His prosperity arrived during a period when the British Empire itself stood at the height of its power. The conclusion of the French and Indian War in 1763 left Britain victorious but heavily indebted.

Parliament attempted to recover those costs by taxing the American colonies through measures such as the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Townshend Duties. Morris initially hoped reconciliation remained possible, believing that continued trade with Britain benefited both sides of the Atlantic.

Yet as imperial policy grew increasingly rigid, he gradually concluded that economic freedom and political independence had become inseparable.