The Embargo Act of 1807 is perhaps the most contradictory decision Jefferson has made in his presidency. Due to impressments of America sailors into the British Army, as well as Great Britain and France both trying to hinder American trade with the other side, Jefferson passed the act which prohibited all foreign trade, to and from the United States. This obliterated any views he was believed to have of a weak central government. The
Jefferson and Hamilton also fought while making the national bank in 1791. Thomas Jefferson believed that a literal interpretation of the Constitution should be followed, and therefore, a federal bank was unconstitutional, while Hamilton used the ‘elastic’ clause (then called the “necessary and proper” clause) to argue it is alright to start. Because of this argument, people were surprised that when Jefferson took office, he followed Hamilton’s loose interpretation of the Constitution and hardly changed any plans, only the 8% whiskey excise tax was removed. Thomas Jefferson then also followed an ‘elastic’ interpretation of the Constitution when purchasing Louisiana from France (Doc. C).
The Articles of Confederation were created as a new central government form after the American Revolution. The Articles still consisted of problems, specifically financial ones. Hamilton proposed a plan that would put U.S. finances on a stable foundation. He planned to lower national debt and strengthen the national credit because he believed that "a national debt was a national blessing". However, some people, such as Jefferson and small farmers opposed his ideas, because they believed in states' rights and a strict interpretation of the constitution, which led to the split of two different political parties.
Revolutionary Americans resented the economic restrictions, finding them exploitative. They claimed the policy restricted colonial trade and industry and raised the cost of many consumer goods. In his 1774 pamphlet, "A Summary View of the Rights of British America, " Thomas Jefferson asserted the Navigation Acts had infringed upon the colonists' freedom in preventing the "exercise of free trade with all parts of the world, possessed by the American colonists, as of natural right." Yet, as O. M. Dickerson points out, it is difficult to find opposition to the mercantile system among the colonists when the measures were purely regulatory and did not levy a tax on them. The British mercantile system did after all allow for colonial monopoly over certain markets such as tobacco, and not only encouraged, but with its 1660 regulation was instrumental in, the development of colonial shipbuilding.
Their main reason for that was that the creation of new states would decrease their power in congress. The Louisiana Purchase was not the only time Jefferson adopted the ideas of federalists about loose construction of the constitution. After he was reelected, war soon broke out in Europe between English and French. British needed more manpower and financial aid for the war soon began impressing American sailors and stealing their cargo. This made trade between the United States and Europe unsafe.
Hamilton created his Federalist party to help promote his goals for the United States. Jefferson’s opposition party, the Republicans, “opposed Hamilton's urban, financial, industrial goals for the United States, and his promotion of extensive trade and friendly relations with Britain.” Their interpretation of the Constitution also was very different. Hamilton interpreted it very loosely and used the elastic clause to get what he wanted out of it, while Jefferson read and followed if very strictly. This is a reason Jefferson was against Hamilton’s plans. Thomas Jefferson didn’t like the idea of building a National Bank in the United States.
John Hughes and Benjamin Franklin came up with the Stamp Act which many people did not like. (DOC G) John Hughes was beggining to run the government down into nothing. Which would cause more taxes for the Americans and whatnot. The Americans would really begin to not like John Hughes and want to separate from Britian even more. So these were some of the reasons tt the American colones separated from the British.
They needed the Americans, and they used an ingenious tactic to cause the Americans to join the war: the death of its own civilians. The civilians on the ship, warned by the Germans, refused to listen to a warning, causing their death on the Lusitania. The total number of Americans who died represented a very small portion of the United States’ total population. The American public over-exaggerated the sinking of the Lusitania and overreacted to the death of very few people compared to America as a whole. The British blockade kept all trades away from the Germans, including food (Ghost Liners 124).Yet, when the Germans retaliate, the Americans hate them for it.
Jefferson was pointed secretary of state under the rule of George Washington in 1789. As Secretary of State, he was in a tough position because he was at odds with his fellow cabinet members, John Adams and Alexander Hamilton. Alexander Hamilton was federalist. Federalist saw the constitution as just a set of guidelines. He believed in a strong federal government, he said “…A state government will ever be the rival power of the general government.”(Alexander Hamilton (1787) Thomas Jefferson believed that a strong federal government would take away the
He did not see how it was morally right to get involved with Europe’s war when the war first broke out. The Central powers proved him wrong. Germany did not believe in restricted war zones and that started to affect the lives of the US citizens. As William Jennings Bryan states “now can we complain, if in confusion one of our boats is sunk by mistake?” German U-boats had attacked American ships because the American ships had entered areas of war. Americans were warned by Germany though just chose to ignore their warning.