Does the U.S. have a central bank?
Although the U.S. founding fathers were initially opposed to the idea of a central bank, one was eventually created. The U.S. central bank is known as the Federal Reserve System (or the Fed), and it's governed by the Federal Reserve Board.
The Fed was established with the 1913 Federal Reserve Act to consolidate and stabilize the banking system, which was, at one time, primarily controlled by large banks in the country's more populous eastern portion (much to the chagrin of Americans in rural and western portions). By establishing the Fed, the U.S. finally had one currency, one institution over monetary policy, and one decentralized bank monitoring everything.