This Day In History: July 9, 1795 On July 9, 1795, James Swan, an American businessman and Revolutionary patriot, liquidated the debt the U.S. government owed to the country of France, agreeing to pay the sum of $2,024,899 (about $28 million today). James Swan was a native of Fife, Scotland and emigrated to Boston, MA in 1765 at the age … Continue reading This Day in History: July 9th