There wasn't really a currency before the government helped establish one. The economic system had more to do with the value of specie and land trade. It wasn't until much later that officially recognized currency, from the government became sort of a standard, otherwise it was gold and silver, etc., much like it was elsewhere in the world.

The first central bank wasn't established until Dec. 31, 1781, and that was a private business from wealthy early Americans, who may or may not have had ties or bias toward England.

Of course, central banking systems were frowned upon, and America's central banks went through a few iterations before arriving at the Federal Reserve, a non-government entity, around the 1920's.

Alexander Hamilton said this, in 1781, concerning central banks:

It was impossible, that the business of finance could be ably conducted by a body of men however well composed or well intentioned.

And in 1791 wrote to George Washington with:

For it is unquestionably incident to sovereign power to erect corporations, and consequently to that of the United States, in relation to the objects intrusted [sic] to the management of the government.

After the 1st central banking institution was brought down around 1785. Most of our early politicians were against central banking, they knews it'd destroy our country, yet here we are... in debt to a central bank with no oversight, no auditing, no one has checked on the gold in Fort Knox in over 40 years, of which our currency is based.

the federal government got the debt under control

We never really got the debt under control, even in the beginning. A few rich, power, and fortuitous individuals sought to keep this nation indebted. And here we are...hundreds of years later with a ~20 trillion dollar deficit, a sinking economy, and a people who couldn't care less, it's the here and now. "Fuck the future".