While both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson played tremendous roles in the development and founding of the United States, their beliefs were vastly different. Hamilton believed that America’s power should be based in a federal government. On the other hand, Jefferson believed that the power should be distributed amongst the states construed of local governments. These beliefs and views on the order in which America should be run, strongly influenced their actions and how they supported and changed the American government. Jefferson and Hamilton strongly opposed each other in regard to the practicality of a national bank and believed that the bank should act in different roles. Before you take a close observation of Jefferson and Hamilton’s …show more content…
Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, was born into a wealthy family in Virginia. He first started out as a tobacco farmer. He then later became a politician in Virginia. From early in his life, Hamilton was a federalist. Hamilton and his party strongly believed that the country should be governed by the wealthy and upper class because they were the ones who were best suited to hold positions of power. Jefferson supported a Republican party that completely opposed the idea that the “elite” should lead the country. The main objective of Jefferson’s party was to leave little power in the hands of the government in order to prevent tyranny. Hamilton and Jefferson were also opposed in where they thought the power should be concentrated. The federalists believed that the federal government should have national power. The Republicans and Jefferson wanted the American power to be divided among the states. Along with the government, both men thought the American economy should have been supported in different areas. Hamilton thought that the already agricultural-economy could improve with the addition of manufacturing and shipping. Jefferson, stemming from a farming background, believed that the economy could …show more content…
Of all their disagreements, the debate over the bank was probably one of the most popular topics that the two men argued. Soon after Hamilton’s rise into politics, he created a plan for the for the government to establish a national bank. The idea that Hamilton set forth seemed to reflect the Bank of England because he admired the system that the English government had. Hamilton’s intricate banking system was created to have many branches placed across the States and create a common currency for the entire country. Hamilton also supported that the National Bank should be able to loan money to the government and act as a place to deposit their money. Hamilton created a very descriptive plan for a national bank that he offered to the Congress in December of 1790. To quickly confront America’s problem, Hamilton’s idea wanted the bank to pay off all debts the country had. Hamilton wanted to use this national bank in order to turn the economy in the right direction and strengthen the financial interests in America. Thomas Jefferson disagreed with the ideology of a national bank completely. Jefferson’s argument was that he believed the formation of a national bank under the government was unconstitutional and that the government didn’t have the power to do so. In Jefferson's Opinion on the Constitutionality of a National Bank, Jefferson says that
Thomas Jefferson vs Alexander Hamilton Frenemies: Informative Essay Two competing political parties have always existed throughout the United States. One seeking to increase the power of the government and the other one seeking to decrease the government's power. Thomas Jefferson was the Secretary of State during George Washington's Presidency, while Alexander Hamilton was a financial planner. Thomas Jefferson believed that National government power could be curbed through a strict interpretation of the Constitution while Alexander Hamilton believed the government could be strengthened through a loose interpretation of the Constitution.
When the idea of the first U.S bank was proposed in 1790 the antifederalists believed that the banks should be primarily controlled by the states according to the 9th Amendment, while federalist believed that those kinds of powers should be held by the government. In one of his letters Hamilton stated, “If all the public creditors receive their dues from one source [the government]…their interest[s] will [be] the same. And having the same interests, they will unite in support of the fiscal arrangements of the government.”1 This showed that Hamilton, and the federalists, believed that if financial matters were controlled by one bank more loaners would support the government. The political parties’ opposing views on topics such as this made the process of approval more
In the late 1700’s till early 1800’s, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were the two of major people in the government. Hamilton was the Secretary of Treasury and Jefferson was the Secretary of State. Hamilton belonged to the Federalist party while Jefferson was a member of the Democratic-republican party. Hamilton wanted to enlarge the power of the government. However, Jefferson’s view was the opposite.
Jefferson followers were generally farmers, debtors, and other lower class people who were loyal to their state governments. Anti-federalists not want a strong government, and so they tried to weaken the federal government. They interpreted the Constitution as a law that federalists must follow exactly, thus limiting their power. Hamiltonian and Jeffersonian social and economic policies differed. Hamilton wanted to use the government as a way to increase the economic interests of America, such as in business. Federalists implemented protective tariffs like the excise tax, created the national debt, and a strong central bank. Jeffersonians preferred agricultural as the main source income, and further did not want a strong central bank. Jefferson wanted a limited government to prevent a autocratic dictatorship, and so he protected state rights and farmers, on the other hand, Hamilton wanted a powerful government to promote industry and manufacturing so that America could undergo an industrial revolution and become a world
In the history of America, Thomas Jefferson, the Secretary of State, and Hamilton, the Secretary of the Treasury, were two of the greatest leaders of our country. Although they both lead the country, that's where the similarities end as they had opposing views on everything. Jefferson was a republican while Hamilton was a federalist. Jefferson had been opposed to all of Hamilton's ideas, such as his financial plan, his interpretation of the powers of the government, his foreign policy, and his vision for the future of America. Jefferson was against Hamilton's views because his financial plan would ultimately destroy democracy in America, his interpretation of the powers of
Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were two very important people in American history, but they loathed each other. Hamilton and Jefferson had two notably different ways that they wanted the new nation to be ran. Thomas Jefferson absolutely did not want the nation to be ran with a central institutions. Meanwhile, Alexander Hamilton’s vision on how the new nation should be ran was idealized on a central institution.
As most people know, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson had many different viewpoints and beliefs of the relationship between the federal government and the state government. The relationship between the federal government and the state government was different in many ways. For instance, the people who wanted the states to have control were typically people who were farmers and did not believe the Constitution would protect the public's individual liberties. While the people who wanted the federal government to have more control, like Alexander Hamilton, were typically of wealthier men and believed in what the Constitution stands for. Specifically, Alexander Hamilton was a federalist and Thomas Jefferson was a man who opposed the Federalists
While at the head of their respective departments, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton constantly had conflicting visions, therefore the people followed one or the other, and were split into two, either republicans, or federalists. Jefferson and his followers were considered republicans, and Hamilton and his were known as the federalists. They disagreed on almost every political issue from 1789 to 1800, so not only were they in constant disagreement, but the entire country was as well. Their differences were well known and everybody saw this including the President, George Washington (Doc E). He acknowledged that their varying opinions on every issue resulted in matters going further than they needed to. He wanted them to resolve their
-republican that thought most power should lie on the small local governments and did not like the amount of power the federal government had ( contrary to Alexander Hamilton's belief) . Whereas Hamilton was a federalist who believed in a strong national government and taxing the lower class. Hamilton led the federalists and Jefferson led the anti federalists. Hamilton believed that the central government should be weak limited to only the powers given to them in the constitution in the other hand Jefferson wanted to establish a federal government of limited power.
Hamilton controlled the Federalist for twelve years. During that time, Hamilton thought the government should consist of wealthy men. These men would be capable of having a strong, stable, and independent economy. Hamilton had problems with the Republicans when he got the Congress to pass his plans on opening up a National Bank. This bank was to have a safe place to put their money, provide loans for businesses and the collection of taxes. Thomas Jefferson believed that Hamilton and his Federalist group were corrupted, because Hamilton was using his power and causing problems for the
Firstly, is Thomas Jefferson. He was appointed Washington’s first Secretary of State and the one who led the Democratic Republican party. He had many beliefs that shaped the way of American politics today. For example, Jefferson believed that we should have a strong state government led by the common people. He also said that America should be based on an “agrarian society”, because that was what the country made its successes on. One of the major views that he opposed to that Hamilton brought up was that America should have a national government. The reason he said this was because he believed that;
Someone who was polar opposite of Alexander Hamilton in their views was Thomas Jefferson, a member of the Democratic - Republican Party. Jefferson was in favor of a smaller central government with more power to the states. He perceived that it was unconstitutional to have the federal government to have so much influence on daily life. Jefferson thought that agriculture should be the backbone of the economy. He also did not support the idea of a central bank, Jefferson thought that the U.S. should pay off all of its debt and stay out of business affairs.”Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of god…..for substantial and genuine virtue”(Document D). Thomas thought that America should be the voice of ALL of the people so he wanted the common people to be able to have more of an influence in the government. Jefferson did not trust the wealthy people in government and thought that the more down to earth farmers and commoners would keep them in check. A very prominent difference in Hamilton and Jefferson was their views on the constitution. “Powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution,
Conflicting views and contrasting ideologies have always existed throughout the history of United States politics. Alexander Hamilton, who led Federalist Party, believed that a powerful central government was necessary while Thomas Jefferson, who led the Jeffersonian Republican Party, favored an agrarian nation with most of the power left to the states. Although Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were similar in that they both harbored good intentions and tried to keep the best interests in mind for the future of the United States, their policies were drastically different. Without doubt, both of their contrasting ideas served a vital role in forming the government.
Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were key Founding Fathers of America who contributed to its freedom and independence. Both men were influential leaders of their time whose visions for the future of the country were clearly contrasting. Hamilton believed for a strong federal government and an economy based on banking. While Jefferson desired for a nation to be controlled by the states and its people. Their competing visions for the United States are still in debate until this day. Although Jefferson’s ideas were significant to America, many of Hamilton’s philosophy still holds in today’s government.
Alexander Hamilton, though, worked for a more complex economic system. He planned out a national debt, public credit, a national bank and a plan to pay off the debts the nation had accrued. He advocated to accept the old debts of the Articles of Confederation, war debts, and state debts under his economic policy because it gives the government some legitimacy, and it allows for the government to obtain credit from other countries easily.