Preview

Jefferson Vs Hamilton Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
974 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Jefferson Vs Hamilton Essay
When George Washington appointed both Hamilton and Jefferson to his cabinet, it was obvious that there would be controversy. These two men both had very different views, and both helped to create what we practice as today's government. Though both made good points, it was Hamilton who had the right idea for government. Even now, his ideas are perfect for how current government should be run. Hamilton understood that a strong central government would be needed to keep the fledgling country alive. In order to keep a strong government that understood the problems at hand, it needed to be run by first class, educated men. Hamilton also makes a good point in saying that, though Jeffersonians thought the rich would corrupt the government in order to profit for themselves, the rich had nothing to gain as they were already at the top of the social ladder. Whiele Hamilton was a realist, Jefferson was a romantic. He lagged …show more content…
Not all of the kinks had been worked out of it yet, and it still needed some fine tuning. This is why Hamilton's loose constructionist ideas were better than the strict constructionist ideas of Jefferson. There obviously things in the Constitution that had been missed, or written confusingly. This is why a loose interpretation must have been taken of the Constitution at the time. Jefferson felt that it was already perfect, but it was not. The Constitution did not provide for a cabinet, political parties, or a bank, but all three of them have proven to be important parts of our country. The idea of a bank is a good example of how loose constructionist theory is important. We needed money in order to pay off the debt we had gotten from the war. If we had interpreted the Constitution as saying that a bank was unconstitutional just because it wasn't in the Constitution, we would have never been able to begin to make money back to pay off the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The country is in serious debt. Our government has two completely different viewpoints and ideas in the Federalists and Republicans in Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. The ideas of Hamilton will be the only way for our government to have any success and riding our debt, establishing good credit, and keeping the country together. Hamilton has the brilliant idea of assuming all of the states debts. The government will get the states out of debt and issue them government bonds and rid the states of the continentals. Not only will this rid the states of their debts but also it will now allow for all the states to start equal economically. Also the states will trust the government and will loan them money if they need it because the government is slowly establishing good credit, which is necessary if we are to ever fight a war or have a need to borrow money. Hamilton also wants to redeem all of the continentals that were primarily in the hands of veterans or prospectors who had bought them for much lower than par price. Hamilton wants to just get the continentals out of circulation and to start issuing new government bonds. Under Hamilton’s plan, the government will give the people who have the continentals at par no matter how much they bought them for. Jefferson and his colleagues such as Madison realize that the prospectors will now get a large sum of money from the government and the people who had sold given their money to prospectors for far less than its worth will get nothing. The republicans want to track down who originally had the money and pay them; also the republicans accuse Hamilton of wanting an oligarchy made up of wealthy aristocrats like Britain. First of all it is not realistic or possible to track down the original owners of the continentals, the government has much more important things to do. Also although Hamilton wanted the wealthy to have some power in the government because the…

    • 727 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hamilton thought that having one single president was the most ideal way to govern a nation. He believed that if you had a strong executive branch that kept the president in line that the problem of a dictatorship would never be a problem. Hamilton then discusses how to keep a strong executive by keeping its members united and supportive of each other so they keep their efficiency and control. Hamilton supported his ideas with roman history and how they tried to kept things in order with only one leader, he just made minor corrections to the flaws in their system. Hamilton also gave reasons why the government would fail with two leaders just like it did in Rome. In conclusion the federalist #70 discussed that one leader was the way Hamilton thought would make a strong united government that worked together and runs smoothly.…

    • 267 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    To make a strong manufacturing giant, he needed a strong government that could build infrastructure and protect patents. He was supporting a strong national government since he wrote so many of the Federalist Papers. Hamilton also envisioned an America that was governed primarily by the elite. His party, the Federalist Party would be the one of the rich, the able and well-born. Hamilton wanted affiliations with Great Britain due to his passion for elitism and trade. On the other hand, Jefferson wanted an American that was predominantly agrarian, with most people being small scale subsistence level farmers. Maybe they would produce a little surplus for local markets but not for international consumers. There would be no international trade and he didn’t want manufacturing either. This small scale local economy could best be served by a small scale local government. Jefferson was a big fan of the French since they fought with us in the war…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamilton and Jefferson were chosen Apart from it being his priority to keep positive relationships with other countries, Jefferson kept good communication with France after Genet’s misfortune. Even after “the Terror” in France, Jefferson stood by the beliefs and actions of France. Hamilton was a Federalist that in the now would be referred to Republicans. The ideas were similar to those of Europe, allowing for Federal Government to have more control and a monarchy control.…

    • 197 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamilton didn’t want to implement the constitution verbatim rather using the loose interpretation of it. He believed that a solid central government would help boost the economy and regulate many things throughout the country.…

    • 319 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hamiltonian, Lieutenant- colonel, First U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of State and spent his time devoted to the rich and wealthy individuals of Virginia. Though I have little knowledge on today’s congress, senate, and military. What I do remember is that what we have in common with Hamilton is,” Strong central government, order and organization, Industrial development, Helped establish a financial credit for the U.S. government. Hamilton had a firm belief that the rich, powerful and well educated should have the control on the government. Which in all honesty looking at today modern times, I can fully agree that the much upper class controlling the government, why? To be blunt money talks in future and I’m sure during 1780s and 90s it did as well, the rich and well educated people would rather spend his or her tax money on what they believe is right each upper class individual have a grasp on politics. Hamilton’s strong belief is still going strong today and being applied through the Senate Congress…

    • 475 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alexander Hamilton was a federalist who believed in a strong central government. Thomas Jefferson was a democratic republican who wanted states to have strong power. Hamilton and Jefferson were competing to get their way. Hamilton point of view was best for America. Hamilton want the best for the country not for himself, he wanted to help bring upon a good strong federal government, and he thought that Jefferson was to dangerous for the country.…

    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    However Jefferson had supported the average man unlike Hamilton who excluded the poor in his plans for the government and economy. Another example would be that Hamilton’s plan could become corrupted from the chosen few to become greedy and lead into tyranny. Jefferson had instead believed in divided power and in a weaker central government as he feared for a strong central government to take away liberty. The people participating in the federal government could be tempted to serve themselves rather than the people. Jefferson believed in the common people, calling them the “chosen people of God” (8). However Hamilton trusted only the rich and educated to partake in the government which would result with where the “poor would become poorer”…

    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    My views on government side with both Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. In my opinion, I believe that Hamilton had it right that the government should help support industry to help grow the country. It was views like his that made this nation the world power that it is today. In the time of Jefferson and Hamilton, I believe that Hamilton's idea of the government should be left to the educated. I do not think that holds true today. In today's age, I believe that everybody has received the education to be able to participate in the governing process. For this day and age Jefferson's idea of everybody has the right to vote is the right…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alexander Hamilton, one of the most important people of the time, was the first Secretary of the Treasury. Utilizing federal power to modernize the nation, he convinced Congress to use an elastic interpretation of the Constitution to pass laws that Jefferson deemed unconstitutional. These laws included federal assumption of the state debts, creation of a national bank, and a system of taxes through a tariff on imports and a tax on whiskey. Hamilton was also the creator of the Federalist Party. In contrast, Thomas Jefferson was born to a wealthy family but was nonetheless an anti-federalist. He was sympathetic towards the poor people and advocated state’s rights.…

    • 937 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Over two hundred years ago people were asking how powerful should the president be? Is he too powerful now? Today, in the twenty-first century, political scientist, constituent, and even politicians are asking the same questions. One of the most notable debates over this subject stems from a disagree between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Hamilton preferred a larger executive while Jefferson preferred a smaller one. When George Washington declared neutrality during a war between Britain and France, Jefferson did not believe that Washington had the constitutional power to do this. Hamilton decided to respond; he did so by publishing articles under the pseudonym, Pacificus.…

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamiltons Economic Plan

    • 333 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Hamilton’s economic plan had many brilliant ideals. In Hamilton’s plan there was this idea of popular rule. Popular rule is the concept that the rich had to be enthusiastic about the plan. I believe that this was untrue and unnecessary because the southern, less well too due states, were the ones that actually paid back their debt. Next, the national bank was a thing put into place in order to foster the manufacturing side of America and it was also a way to secure money and collect taxes. This part of Hamilton’s plan was a great idea because it helped to stimulate the economy. State rights were the part in which the states had the right to charter their own banks. These banks again furthered Hamilton’s idea of making America a manufacturing country instead of an agricultural one. Finally, the political ideas was the difference between the interpretation of the “necessary and proper” clause. Hamilton stressed the “proper” part and Jefferson stressed the “necessary” part. Both had different views on this power. Personally I agree with Hamilton. I believe that the national government has the right to make…

    • 333 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Alexander Essay

    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Hamilton’s experience in the Revolution War drove him to press for political equality. Hamilton didn’t really agree with Washington, “The seven years between Hamilton’s appointment as Secretary of the Treasury and Washington’s retirement from the presidency were, indeed, enchantingly fulfilling the most fulfilling of Hamilton’s career.” (A) Which showed how Hamilton was slowly becoming successful. Then he “created all the institutions then needed to balance the lopsided agricultural economy.” (A) Making he economy more balancing, while fixing the unbalanced political issues.…

    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    As a result of their ideas on the role of government in public and private lives, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were two of the most influential Founding Fathers. Perhaps their greatest influence was in regard to religion and the separation of church and state. To this day, their writings are influential to how we perceive the role of government in religious matters. Two of the leading writings from Jefferson and Madison are the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom and the Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments, respectively. Both writings were written in a time of great struggle against Patrick Henry and the issue of a general tax to support churches and they both share similar traits in their wording and clear influence…

    • 1241 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Alexander Hamilton essay

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Alexander Hamilton’s Federalist Paper No.15 expressed how he felt about the people and the government. Hamilton argued non-stop about the Constitution problems and how he would like to solve them. Hamilton had his own beliefs, fears, and assumptions about the arguments he faced with the Constitution, but he was not afraid to speak up and speak out about how he would solve them himself.…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays