Hamilton Vs Jefferson Essay

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.

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.

The two different visions of assembly of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton conveyed understandings of American power and the American people. For Hamilton, America's quality lay in the business industry. His America was one of delegates, specialists, speculators and banks. His party anticipated those would help these people battle in an overall business focus. Hamilton was suspicious of state governments, obliged as they were to slim neighborhood interests.

Before the Revolutionary War had occurred, many people were coming to the new colonies to start a new life; one of the people was Alexander Hamilton. He had come to the colonies after impressing people in the Caribbean and who then sent him to America to get a better education (“Alexander Hamilton”). Hamilton was an important figure in American history, but very few today remember who he was and what he did. Alexander Hamilton took a stand against traditional government by writing against and battling the British, fighting for the new U.S. Treasury, and arguing for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

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

Jefferson wanted a separation of powers within the government in order to prevent one person or group having a tyrannical hold over the nation. He believed

Whose side would you have been on in the 1790s, Thomas Jefferson’s or Alexander Hamilton’s? Both of these men served under George Washington in the first presidential cabinet, yet they had very different views of what government should be (Davis 86). My objective in this research essay is to inform the reader of why there was so much controversy between these two founding fathers, and to determine which side had the better views for our newly forming country.

     Hamilton and Jefferson were both appointed to Washington's cabinet. Hamilton was the secretary of the treasury and Jefferson became the secretary of state. Creating a cabinet was only one of several precedents set by Washington in areas where the Constituton was silent or unclear.

Both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson contributed a great impact in the constitution and early republic. However they each show how different they were in many ways. One of those differences included their views in what they believed was best for the nation. Unlike their different views there was something they both share. It seems both these men had its similarities and differences.

Though both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson served as members of President Washington’s cabinet, the two held very different views on the newly founded U.S. government, interpretation of its constitution, and the role of the “masses” in that government. These conflicting views would develop in two political parties, the Federalists led by Hamilton and the Democratic-Republicans led by Jefferson. Although both political parties presented enticing aspects, Hamilton’s views were much more reasonable and fruitful when compared Jefferson’s views; idealistic and too strict in reference to the constitution.

Despite Hamilton’s opposing beliefs, his attempts to persuade everyone were highly successful, due to the fact that his actions lead to the selection of his bitter, political enemy, Thomas Jefferson, as our nation’s third chief executive, despite the differences they had. Hamilton was able to persuade the House of Representatives to vote for Jefferson over Burr by writing,“From Alexander Hamilton to Harrison Gray Otis.” In this letter, Hamilton elaborates on how choosing Jefferson is the best option because he is the “less evil” between the two of them. However; the outcome of the election affected not only Hamilton’s political career, but his personal life in numerous ways, as well. As far as his political career goes, he lost an immense amount of support from the Federalists.

A1) Regarding the financial plan of Hamilton, the Whig party (at the time these party members were Federalist, but they aligned themselves with the Whig Party) was more than accepting of because they felt it would secure the republic from an economic perspective. Hamilton’s plan was based on proven models and concepts. One of the creations would be a national bank like the one in England which would be privatized, make currency, and give out loans to the government (Foner 274). To the Whigs economic survival was the most important for the entirety of this new republic. Whigs were also mainly bankers and the wealthiest people in the country, so this plan would favor them by resulting in policies. Policies such as tariffs and subsidies would benefit these businessmen and promote urbanization in the United States.

Developing a country and its principals comes with many debates, arguments, and many decisions to be made. In the end of the eighteenth century the Founding Fathers of the newly established America dealt with the difficulties of creating a country with strong political, social, and economic power. With the writing of the Articles of Confederation the country had now developed a national government, but was weak and ineffective. The top leaders of the country knew the flaws of the Articles and gathered together to rewrite the draft. When these decisions makers met in Philadelphia for the Convention the Constitution of the United States was written. This Constitution developed the foundation of the American governmental system. Along with

During Hamilton’s time as the secretary of the treasury, he envisioned how America could become the greatest country in the future. Hamilton sorted out a couple of brilliant ideas on how America could become a more wealthy country. Unlike his friend colleague Jefferson, Hamilton’s ideas were to come out of the ordinary life and strive for greatness while Jefferson’s ideas encouraged farmers to continue their daily jobs and enjoy their freedom. During the era of competing visions of the future, Hamilton published three reports in which he explained how his brilliant ideas would lead America to become the wealthy powerful nation he once envisioned. These reports included the ideas of a national bank, establishing public credit and the encouragement

The argument between Federalists and Anti-Federalists might seem long gone to American citizens, but still their philosophical foundations shape the teams, scope and size of the battlefield. These philosophies go back to two lone men, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Both fought aggressively for a government based on their ideas, and both did make portions of the now-standing American government. This essay will outline the political, social and economic philosophies of both men, how their philosophies influenced the government today, and a closing opinion.