Comparison Of Hamilton And Jefferson

After the war of independence and the declaration signed by the founding fathers; America was at a crossroad when it came to their government stability. Some American aristocrats believed in a society that had a stable government, and others believed in the people’s will. The rising men during this period of forming a government in the late 18th century were Hamilton and Jefferson. Jefferson went on to become the 3rd president of America in 1801 but this essay will analyze how Hamilton’s ideas and politics would influence Jefferson’s tenure and America as a whole. Hamilton’s outlook of good government and capitalism would seep into America. Hamilton’s notion of government stems from the likes of Thomas Hobbes and Machiavelli, intellectuals

Alexander Hamilton proved to be essential for America by persuading the likes of Washington, Maddison, and Jefferson in forming a bank for government finance. Alexander pushed for America to pursue economic growth and stabilize the new government of America. Hamilton was an advocate for taxes and industrial growth to solidify the national government. Stated in the Columbus Law Review, “Congress passed the first markedly protective tariff only in 1816, but Hamilton had laid the official base for the policy in 1791”. It was Hamilton’s perseverance and theories that led for Congress to pass the first official tax. This example visualizes how impactful Hamilton was for America not only as a political thinker but as a lawmaker. Hamilton focused on taxation but would receive much backlash due to past experiences with taxation. Hamilton would overcome the people who were against it, and the Congress would gain taxing powers.Other federalists and elites would approve Hamilton's idea of taxation, the opposing force like Jefferson would have to lean on taxation during his presidency. Hamilton lost to Jefferson, but his work and ideas triumphed Jefferson’s reign. Protective tariffs, funding programs, and spending for national interest were all entwined with Hamilton’s notion of a strong government. In Burr, Hamilton, and Jefferson: A Study in Character, Kennedy stated in his studies that as a

Merrill described in The Anticapitalist Origins of the United States, “ Hamilton as the champion of a new liberal society based on equality of opportunity and Jefferson as a defender of a tradition-bound, hierarchical order”. This quote from Merrill’s research demonstrated what some historians depicted Hamilton and Jefferson as. Hamilton was an elite who took laws from the British empire and shaped them into the American legislature. Alexander kept the spirit of America intact while also producing an economic surplus and building a strong military. Jefferson led with agrarian ideologies, like limiting trade with foreign powers but establishing trade networks within the United States. These new policies and regulations under Jefferson did not advance the United States’ capita especially when he advanced the Embargo Act in 1807. This declined the trade and profit for America, a quote in the History of Congress displayed the how effective this law was, “Since that law had passed, information had been received that evasions were already practised under it; information had been received, that, as cost-wise commerce was permitted by the embargo, merchants were giving up their registers and taking out licenses”. The Embargo Act could be seen as a derailment of capitalism and foreign affairs, some individuals believed this was a