For better or mostly worse, the Federal Reserve has been governing the monetary system of the United States since 1914. The visual history below maps the rise of the Fed from its origins as a relatively minor institution, often controlled by Presidents and The Treasury to its supposedly independent and self-aware current position as, arguably, the most powerful entity in the world. And because we always like to be 'fair-and-balanced' we juxtapose this clarifying truth of the maniacal growth of the Fed's balance sheet and shift from passive to hyperactive - highlighting every major macro-economic and political event on the way - with G. Edward Griffin's 1994 speech on 'The Creature From Jekyll Island'.

Full Infographic available here.

1914-1936

1936-1968

1968-1999

1999-2010

And The Creature From Jekyll Island:

and the full free edition of the visual history here:

History of Federal Reserve Free Edition