Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were professional arch-rivals serving under the same government of President George Washington. Hamilton was the Secretary of the Treasury and Jefferson, the Secretary of State. Their divergent beliefs would, in many ways, shape what America is today.
Jefferson and Hamilton facilitated the formation of factions that gave rise to the dual party system under which the politics of the United States are today. Their differences helped the formation of political parties, of course, with the contribution of other notable figures like John Adams and James Madison ( Cunningham, 2000). Jefferson and Hamilton divisions and factionalism shaped the early American political landscape.
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The two men held divergent views on many things. Jefferson supported an economy based on America’s agrarian tradition, while Hamilton favored the promotion of commerce and manufacturing. Jefferson was an antifederalist and advocated for the southern and rural interests. Hamilton, on the other hand, believed in urban commercial interests and a strong central government.
When President Washington’s tenure began, two factions formed; Federalists and Anti-Federalists ( Read, 2010). Jefferson and Hamilton unofficially led these two camps. They would much later metamorphose into political parties known as the Republicans and the Federalists. Two political parties still dominate the American political landscape.
Hamilton supported the formation of Bank of the United States to maintain public credit and to consolidate the states’ debts under the federal government. Jefferson opposed Hamilton’s reforms and feared that the Bank of the United States was English influence. The United States has benefited a lot from the influence of both men. Their divergent philosophies were converged during their times and years after. Their economic and political debate had major foundational impacts that continue to affect the nation to date.
References
Cunningham, N. (2000) Jefferson vs. Hamilton: Confrontations that shaped a Nation. St.
Martin’s Press. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2005.tb00806.x
Read, James H. (2010) Power versus Liberty: Madison, Hamilton, Wilson, and Jefferson.
Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2000. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2005.tb00806.x
