Author Question: compare and contrast the beliefs of alexander hamilton and thomas jefferson? (Read 1166 times)

geoffrey

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which led to the formation of the federalist and democratic-republican parties?



Sandstorm

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At the core of Jefferson's and Hamilton's differences was a belief in the rural versus the urban.
Jefferson believed that the hard-working farmer was the backbone of society and that the closer someone was to the land and to work, the closer he was to God.
Hamilton certainly respected the agricultural class but believed that progress and education was the key to moral goodness.

These differences played out in several ways, for example, Hamilton believed that the Federal government had to be supreme, but Jefferson believed the Federal government was an instrument of the States. According to Jefferson, any State had a right to secede from the Union, and also, any State could declare an act of Congress unconstitutional. In short, Jefferson wanted the power of Judicial Review to go the States, but he would call it Nullification, meaning the States could nullify a federal law deemed unconstitutional.

Also, Hamilton was a huge proponent of a national bank, similar to today's federal reserve that helped control the nation's finances. But Jefferson was a firm opponent of the central bank and believed each state should have it's own bank.

However, there were many similarities between the men, both men believed in freedom of speech and freedom of religion. The core belief in civil liberties was what kept both men involved in the young nation, but more often than not, their differences dominated their rhetoric and political maneuvers.

And yes, do your own homework, if you really want to impress your teacher make sure you cite some sources and use your own personal language. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE TEACHERS KNOW HOW TO RECOGNIZE PLAGIARISM YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH IT.

Thanks for the great question.



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