lex mercatoria

Maritime insurers not only assessed risk--they built markets and the new nation.  During times of war and peace they formed a vital communication and information network.  Their capital also helped to finance the war and the development of the American republic.  We talk about their world with  Hannah Farber, historian of the Revolution and early Republic, and her award-winning book Underwriters of the United States:  How Insurance Shaped the American Founding.