Historical Context & Monetary Policy Shift - In 1971, the US defaulted on its debts due to insufficient gold reserves to back its paper currency [1][2][3] - President Nixon suspended the dollar's convertibility into gold, effectively ending the gold standard [3][5] - President Roosevelt similarly broke the link between paper dollars and gold in 1933 [7][8] Economic Impact & Market Reaction - The stock market surprisingly rose nearly 25% after Nixon's announcement, contrary to initial expectations of a plunge [6] - Devaluation of the dollar occurred because the US printed more paper money than it had in gold reserves [9] - Breaking the link to gold allowed the US to continue spending beyond its earnings by printing more dollars [9] Currency Strength & Economic Fundamentals - A nation's currency strength is based on the strength of its economy [4] - The US economy was considered the strongest in the world at the time of Nixon's decision [5]