Hamilton v. Jefferson

Contrasting Worldviews that Forged a Hamiltonian Reality for a New Nation

Presented By David C. Muzio

Fall 2010

Political Climate

• Revolutionary Consensus

(but Problems)• Divide over Constitution• “Gross and Distorted”• “The Very Survival of

Republican Liberty Riding

In the Balance”

The Parties

• Jeffersonians- “Rights of the people” or

Anarchists

Led by Thomas Jefferson

• Federalists- Balance of power or

“for hereditary power”

Led by Alexander Hamilton

Overview of the Leaders

Background of Alexander Hamilton

Youth

• Born in West Indies

• Illegitimate/poor

• Informal Education

• Respect of blacks

• Management of

commercial affairs

• Longing for War

• Off to America

Young Man in a New Country

• “Boy Genius”

• Washington’s aide-

de- camp

• Management of

Washington’s affairs

• A Different outlook

Post-War

• Strong Law Practice

• Rule of law emphasis

• Member of Congress

• NY Legislature

• Annapolis Convention

• Philadelphia

The Formation of Thought

• Predisposition to

commerce

• Opposition to elite

• Military

• Negative outlook on

nature of man

• National View

Background of Thomas Jefferson

Virginia Aristocrat

• Born in Virginia

• Aristocrat

• Fascination with father

• Heterogeneous society

• “Inferiority of blacks”

Education

• Leisurely upbringing

• Educational “delight”

• English school at 5

• Classical school at 9

• “tributaries of his

mind ran in all

directions”

Upper Education

• William & Mary

• Classics

• French Enlightenment

• George Wythe

• Lawyer

Politician

• House of Burgesses

• Radical Tobacco

Planter

• Continental Congress

• Declaration

• Governor

• Ambassador to France

Experiences

• Agrarian

• Legislator/Diplomat

• Idealistic Thinker

• Intellect

Thought

Religion

• Neither overly religious

• Hamilton: Calvinist

• Jefferson: Deist/Atheist

• Faith v. Morality

• Truth

Nature of Man

Hamilton: “Distressed, Helpless”, Humean: “man ought to be supposed a knave”, “ambitious, vindictive, rapacious, Hobbes

Jefferson: “perfectibility of man”, reason, remaking of society, virtue

Hamilton Philosophy

• Emphasis on history

• Nature of man: wicked

• Work within existing

society/Harness passions

• Hume, Smith, Hobbes

Locke

• Strong central govt.

• Commerce

Jefferson Philosophy

• Reason/Intellect

• Perfectibility of man

• Bacon, Newton, Locke,

Rousseau

• French Enlightenment

• Weak Social Contract

• Natural Rights (no property)

• Agrarian

Authority

• Hamilton: the people

• Jefferson: the states

• Hamilton: meritocracy

• Jefferson: democracy

• Hamilton: “watchful jealousy”

• Jefferson: revolution

Personality

• Hamilton: outgoing, militaristic, action, masculine, ambitious, focused, workaholic, realist, direct, confrontational

• Jefferson: quiet, introspective, “womanish,” intellectual, idealist, leisurely, avoids confrontation, hides behind surrogates of paper

Not “men… but visions”

Early Issues in Washington Administration

• Role of Constitution

• The people v. states

• State/Treasury

• Discrimination

Hamiltonian Economics

• Report on Public Credit

• Assumption

• Bank of the U.S.

• Report on Manufactures

• Based on British system,

not subservient to British

interests

Jefferson Response

• Alternative Plan

• Coalescing Support

• Philip Freneau

• Hamilton=Monarchist

Foreign Policy

• Citizen Genet

• Jefferson pro-French

• Hamilton for neutrality

• Military/War

• Hamilton and

American exceptionalism

Executive

• British style system

• Monarchy v. Prime Minister

• Engine of govt.?

• Everything not expressly

forbidden

• “Less harm and more good”

• Most tyrannical?

• Enumerated powers

Legislative

• Most important?

• Local v. National interests

• Closest to will of the

people

• States

Judiciary/Constitution

• Constitution as “Bulwark”

• Judicial Review

• Kentucky Resolutions

• John Marshall

• Nullification/Calhoun

As seen in History

• Hamilton: JQ Adams,

Jackson (executive),

Lincoln, Lodge, TR,

Reagan, Clinton

• Jefferson: Calhoun,

Jackson (popularism),

Wilson, FDR, Obama

As seen through History

• “World was not made

for me”

• Era of Jeffersonianism

• Civil War

• Late 19th, early 20th

• New Deal

• Resurgence for Hamilton

Conclusions

• Biography/Thought

superb forecasters

• Both misunderstood

• Forrest McDonald

• Hamilton’s policies

essential

• Big v. Strong govt.

As seen in Present Day?

• U.S. not consisting of

one or the other

• Jefferson/Obama similar

foreign policy and values

• Yet, Tea Party Jeffersonian

• Hamilton/Romney

similar?

• Increasingly seen?

Recommended Reading

• Chernow, Ron. 2004. Alexander Hamilton. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

• Elkins, Stanley and Eric McKitrick. 1993. The Age of Federalism. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

• Harper, John Lamberton. 2004. American Machiavelli: Alexander Hamilton and the Origins of U.S. Foreign Policy. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

• Peterson, Merrill D. 1960. The Jefferson Image in the American Mind. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

• Peterson, Merrill D. 1970. Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation: A Biography. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

• Vidal, Gore. 2003. Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, and Jefferson. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

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Continued• http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/04/americans-take-back-the-s

hip.html• http://www.solarnavigator.net/history/george_washington.htm• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:First_Bank_of_the_United_States.jpg• http://www.hbo.com/john-adams/cast-and-crew/alexander-hamilton/index.html• http://www.digitaltrends.com/green-technology/google-att-push-white-house-for-

home-energy-use-summit/• http://www.corante.com/brainwaves/• http://4playerpodcast.com/2010/11/02/games-as-porn-supreme-court-case-not-

looking-good-for-california/• http://bookexcerpts.wordpress.com/2009/07/13/american-lion-andrew-jackson-in-the-

white-house-by-newsweeks-editor-jon-meacham/• http://franklindrooseveltfacts.com/• http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/OBAMA.HTML