In this episode, we begin our series on what it means to be rich. Our starting point is a distinction between getting rich and being rich. As a case study, we look at the wealth of America - how did this British outpost become the richest country in the world? At the founding of America as we know it, the Declaration of Independence was a necessary communication to Europe. It let them know we were going to try to do things differently. These early American communications help set the stage for the way we view wealth and riches in our modern world.