In 1775 John and Francis Baring & Company was just one of many merchant houses in London riding the wave of expanding world trade. By 1803, Baring Brothers Bank and its Dutch associate had financed the Louisiana Purchase, a remarkable achievement due in no small part to the bank's connections with a number of influential characters, namely would-be Senator William Bingham. This book describes the events and relationships that effectively established Barings Bank as the world's first merchant bank and how it played an undeniable role in transforming the United States into an international superpower. Appendixes examine the genealogy of the Baring, Bingham, and Willing families; the impact of the banking pioneers on English aristocracy; the life of Anne Willing Bingham; and information on locations featured in the book, among other topics.