Compare And Contrast The Views Of Thomas Jefferson And Alexander Hamilton During The 1790s

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were opposing forces during the 1790’s. Thomas Jefferson was one of the first democratic-republican politicians in American History. He protected the rights of individuals while many of Hamilton’s positions were centered around the federal government. Hamilton was a federalist so it was no secret that many of his stances supported a strong central government. Hamilton was more focused on order while Jefferson’s interests lied in the heart of freedom. Thomas Jefferson differed from federalists because he represented predominantly the southern states and their agricultural values. Many democratic-republicans did not care for commerce and manufacturing in spite of it being the federalists, primarily northerners, backbone of economy. Jefferson believed that a society would best succeed with rural, self-sufficient farmers. He, along with most Democratic-Republicans, or Republicans, thought a strong central government would lead to oppression of the people living under the government. Hamilton favored a strong federal government. He believed without one, the economy could not flourish. A great debate between Hamilton and Jefferson came with the introduction of the National Bank.
It does not seem to be obvious because he was never president of the United States, and he was part of a political party that died off very soon in its existence but the contributions that Hamilton made on the governments financial well-being and style of government we have today. The United States seems to be more Hamiltonian than Jeffersonian because the federal government is much stronger than individual states governments. Although, ideas of Jefferson still exist today, and he is probably thought of as the more influential of the two, Hamilton’s main ideas, such as a strong central bank and effective economic system, are obvious signs of Hamilton’s lasting