From: Tim Patterson
Date: 2/27/00
Time: 11:50:35 PM
Remote Name: 155.247.168.59
How did Jefferson's and Hamilton's views on human nature and beliefs about individual freedom differ and what was the significance of these differences for government policy in the 1790's? The two revolutionaries and politicians Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton had very different views on the same matter. Hamilton didn’t trust masses. He obviously did trust them to a certain extent because he was a Republican so he believed in the principles of democracy. But he felt that too much political freedom, or complete freedom would lead to anarchy which was worse then living under the rule of the King of England. Hamilton thought that if the central government was strengthened then that would lead to social stability and thus allowing the common man to live a life free from the burdens of oppression and anarchy. The upper classes, or the classes that held the majority of the nation’s wealth, would lead the country to this ultimate goal. The upper class needed to be convinced that if they supported the government and gave it money, then their holdings would be improved. As far as the rest of the society was concerned, private success for the upper class didn’t mean that their lives would intern be put aside by the central authority. It only meant that they would be put in the position to do well because the government would be providing them with education and other programs. Jefferson took the opposite stance. Jefferson saw himself as a defender of personal liberty. Having been strongly influenced by what he witnessed during the French Revolution, Jefferson had faith in the Constitution and common will. As far as he was concerned the major threat to this new nation was rich and former nobility who put their own wealth over liberty. It would be their excesses that would lead America into the ground and their corruption that would intern corrupt the government. This would lead to possibly another revolution and the failure of democracy. Jefferson also differed from Hamilton with his ideas on the economy. Hamilton felt that business development was key if the country was going to break its reliance on foreign trade. Jefferson felt that, while change was inevitable, small farmers could still trade internationally and build a more secure economy through those means. Their differences turned friends into adversaries. The issue of the economy lied in Hamilton’s hands based on the fact that he was that Treasurer. Jefferson criticized every proposal he made, as Hamilton did to Jefferson. Neither secretary could trust each other’s judgments and this type of rivalry created deep divisions in Congress. This angered President Washington because it made the political process much slower and difficult.