Comparing the First Five Presidents

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Comparing the First Five Presidents The first five presidents of the United States dealt with many issues and major problems that helped to shape our government and society today. Different interpretations of the Constitution made it difficult for the citizens to agree on many matters; however, the leadership of the first five presidents helped to maintain an equilibrium. There are different opinions as to which of the first five presidents demonstrated the most characteristics of an outstanding leader; however, it my opinion George Washington made the greatest impact in shaping our government. The first dilemma that Washington had to address was Alexander Hamilton’s three part financial plan. Hamilton established a plan that consisted of paying off all war debts (including state debts), raising government revenues, and creating a national bank. Problems arose over repayment of state debts. Many Southern states had already repaid their war debts and did not think it was fair to ask them to help pay the Northern states’ debts. When Hamilton established a national bank, many constituents were happy because a national bank would give the government a safe place to keep money, make loans to the government and businesses, and issue bank notes. However, Hamilton’s plan showed that there were differences on how to interpret the Constitution. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson argued that the Constitution did not give the government the power to set up a bank. Madison and Jefferson believed in a strict construction of the Constitution and said that the government only had the powers that are written within the four corners of the Constitution. Because the Constitution made no mention of a national bank, then the government did not have the authority to create one. Hamilton, on the other hand, believed that a loose construction of the
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