Hamilton V. Jefferson Dbq

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Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton are two very different men who have affected the fate of our country in many different ways. Jefferson and Hamilton almost never agreed on anything, especially during the Presidency of George Washington. Jefferson and Hamilton’s conflicting views on political and social matters are the reasons why we have the political parties we use today. Previously, Hamilton’s party was known as the Federalists and Jefferson’s party as the Republicans. However, in present day these parties are known as the Republican and Democratic parties. Both Jefferson and Hamilton were members of Washington’s cabinet during his presidency. Nonetheless, they had contrasting opinions on how the young nation should be governed. Although both men had a large population of followers, Hamilton’s views were most favored by the people and Jefferson’s views trailed behind. I believe the most important conflict between Hamilton and Jefferson is the issue on the interpretation of the Constitution and whether the state government or national government should hold more power. Hamilton believed in a strong central/national government while Jefferson supported the power of the states. Hamilton concluded that a national government was beneficial for the country because in his opinion the only people who were fit to govern a nation are aristocrats, landowners, and the well educated. As you can see, Hamilton’s views on the Constitution were loose. “If the end be clearly comprehended within any of of the specified powers, and if the measure have an obvious relation to that end, and is not forbidden by an particular provision of the Constitution, it may safely be deemed to come within the compass of the national authority.” (Document G). Hamilton believes that if the Constitution does not have a rule against an issue or mention it as a whole, then it is still
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