From: Tom Lynch
Date: 2/28/00
Time: 11:04:14 PM
Remote Name: 207.103.134.99
Thomas E. Lynch III History of the U.S., 1600-1870 Week 7 Assignment Jefferson and Hamilton in the Early Years
Jefferson and Hamilton had very different opinions on individual freedoms and human nature. While both men were working toward forming a successful republic, they had very distinct beliefs about the best way to achieve that goal. Hamilton felt that total democracy would result in disaster for the fledgling government. He did not want to see the government controlled by a fickle and uneducated public. The way to insure the survival of the government was to give control to the wealthy upper class men. These wealthy men would invest in the new government, strengthen it, and bring prosperity not only for themselves, but the masses as well. In contrast, Jefferson believed that the American people would be able to effectively form governmental policy. He trusted in the people's ability to do the right thing and feared that a powerful government, led by the wealthy would merely trample the rights of the Americans. These differing opinions had a significant impact on the government, from the 1790's all the way up until today. These two individuals' ideology formed the basis for the United States first two political parties. Followers of Hamilton would eventually coalesce into the Federalists, while the followers of Jefferson would become known as the Republicans. Federalists wanted a strong central government which included a national bank, and favored the rapid expansion of industry in order to remove American dependence on trade with Europe. Republicans however pushed for a weaker national government with greater emphasis on the states. They opposed the idea of a national bank because they argued it would invite greed and cause the same problems here in America that the National Bank of England caused there.