Thoughts about history and paper money

The Irony of American History ~ by Reinhold Niebuhr, 1952, history, xiv + 174 pages

Niebuhr examines America's role in the world community in the light of our political history and moral responsibilities.  Drawing from the ironic contrast between the "innocent" nation our forefathers hoped to build and the superpower America became, Niebuhr clarifies the relation of power to justice and virtue, as he discusses the moral responsibility of the United States as a leader of the free world.

$100 bills in 1977, 2003, and 2017

Here are the fronts and backs of $100 bills issued decades apart.  Someone left a comment saying that when these $100 bills were new, they could pay:

1. pay the 1977 monthly mortgage, 
2. pay the 2003 weekly groceries, and 
3. pay the 2017 weekly Starbucks budget.