So from the George Washington administration until Michael Jackson's Thriller album,

dividends were 90-something percent of returns, and price movement was very little of the game.

And since then, I think well over 70 percent of our investment returns come, not from dividends,

but from price elevation.

That was historian, investor, and author Joseph Moore, discussing his new book, How to Get Rich in American History.

300 years of financial advice that worked and didn't.

I'm Motley Fool producer, Matt Greer.

My colleague Rich Lumello recently talked with more about all of that financial advice and about some timeless lessons for today's investor.

Enjoy.

Welcome to Motley Fool Conversations.

I am Motley Fool contributor, Rich Lamella. Our guest today is someone who brings a rare combination of perspectives to the world of investing.

Dr. Joseph Moore is an author, historian, and investor who didn't start out believing in the American

dream, but through his own experience in the markets, he's come to see it as not only real,

but also achievable. In our conversation today, we're going to explore the strategies,

decisions, and lessons behind his investing success, including some surprising approaches that

paid off and others that didn't. We'll also dig into what history can teach us about markets

today and how everyday investors can apply those

insights in a practical way. Dr. Moore, welcome to The Motley Fool. I'm so glad to be here. Thank you,

Rich. Great. Well, you have just published a book called How to Get Rich in American History,

300 years of advice that worked and didn't. And so I look forward to, you know,

kind of jumping into the, you know, the thoughts around that and, you know, kind of pull out

some anecdotes and some, you know, investing wisdom for our full investors. But before we do that,

...