Hamilton & Jefferson
How did their differences lead to the first political partys
Introduction
Hamilton and Jefferson were very different people, that had very different views of how the United States should run and function. The people that supported each side eventually became the first people to join a political party. Hamilton and Jefferson also set the precedents that the political parties today even follow.
Constitution Construction
Hamilton and Jefferson had different interpretations of the constitution and how it distributed it's power. Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists supported the idea that, if the constitution didn't explicitly said that you couldn't do something, you could do it. Jefferson and the Anti- Federalists supported the idea that, unless the constitution said you could do something, you can under no circumstances do it. Hamilton's interpretation was called loose construction, and Jefferson's was called strict construction
Government Strength (and weakness)
Jefferson and Hamilton also conflicted about the strength of the National and State governments. Jefferson, being the common man's man, wanted the states to have more power than the nation itself. Hamilton wanted the federal government to have more power over the states, to support the wealthy and in power people.
Economy
Jefferson and Hamilton wanted different ways for the country to make money. Jefferson wanted the country to be based on agriculture and farming, because he was from the country. Hamilton wanted the country to be on finance and banking, he was from the city
Hamilton vs Jefferson
National Bankage
As a city man, and business man, of course, Hamilton was an advocate of the National Bank. It allowed the central government to have access to large sums of money with little effort, making it stronger. Jackson hated the idea of the national bank, he thought they were sleaze bags that unfairly took advantage of people and their money, are you starting to see a pattern?