In the late 1700’s, colonial America was so different than the America we come to know today. Whose side would you be on if you were around during the time, Alexander Hamilton or Thomas Jefferson? They were both very important men who served former president George Washington in the first presidential cabinet. The constitution was just changed and both Hamilton and Jefferson has their own unique views of how America should be. The conflict between the two led to the development of two parties. Hamilton led the federalists and Jefferson led the Democratic Republicans. Their conflict brought out two different sides on how our politics and economy should work.
Thomas Jefferson was born in Virginia, 1743. He was well educated and was raised in a very wealthy home. He was a minister in France, and he drafted the Declaration of Independence. He was also the third president of the United States but he was Secretary of State during George Washington’s presidency. Even though Jefferson disliked federalist, when he got into the office, he left many of the federalist programs still going. Jefferson believed that agriculture was a decent position as it kept people away from wicked cities, in the sun, and closer to God when they farmed.
Alexander Hamilton was born January 11, 1755. He was the United States first secretary of of treasury. Hamilton’s parents separated when he was young, and he was left to live with his mother who passed away a couple of years later. Leaving Alexander Hamilton an orphan at the age of eleven. He was also a persuasive interpreter of the United States constitution, which he also signed. Hamilton can be recognized for many things such as, being the face on the U.S. ten dollar bill. Being a lawyer in his community and a national tax agent. Even for his political career in being a representative for New York’s national congress. They were both very influential men.
While Jefferson and Hamilton both wanted to give the new nation what they thought was best, it was inevitable that their ideas would clash. Hamiltons immediate goal was to establish the nations financial stability. His aim was to make the United States a commercial and military power. Hamilton believed that for the nation to be great they couldn’t have the same weaknesses as under the articles of confederation. Hamilton’s program had a few different parts. According to Eric Foner, in the text Give Me Liberty, The first step was “ To establish the nations credit-worthiness”. Meaning that people would be able to loan money to the government through buying its bonds, and having them repaid. Hamilton wanted the government to take full responsibility of the national debt that came along from the war of independence. Hamilton also proposed to build a bank of the United States. He aimed to build an industrial city.
The republicans did not agree with the idea that America should be a land of cities, mills and factories. They wanted a country of farmers where they can be independent to grow and sell whatever they wanted. Jefferson and the Republicans wanted wanted A free trade country. They believed that the federalists plan was only to benefit the bankers and business leaders. To support their position, they adopted the theory of strict constructionism. This brought to light that the government could not make any changes unless the constitution gave consent for it.
George Washington had a good relationship with both Jefferson and Hamilton. The two men actually got along at one point in time. It wasn’t until Hamilton’s economic policy started shaping itself in the late 1791, when they started their beef. Washington needed both these men to work together and that was no easy task. He wrote them similar letters in 1792, expressing how much he needed them to be on the same page. He let it be known in the letters that both of the men were getting scolded about this issue and that he wasn’t choosing sides.
Both Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton wrote back a letter to president George Washington. I believe that Jefferson was the most agitated while writing this letter because he states, “ If history stops to notice him, will remember a person who worked to destroy liberty.” Here he speaks of Alexander Hamilton and how his point of view isn’t correct. Throughout
The letter, Jefferson explains to Washington that he doesn’t know the whole truth about the situation and continues to speak on the differences between him and Hamilton.
Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were two very important and influential men that walked the earth years before us. They shaped the government that we have today. Their rivalry and disagreements brought to light the different ways that people want their country to be ran. Their personalities were way different as well and it was obvious that it was a big factor in why they disliked each other. Out of all the events that happened in the 1790s, it showed that everyone had the equal right to vote, and express their opinions freely about how the government should be ran.