Essay On Jefferson Vs Alexander Hamilton

"There is nothing I dread so much as a division of the Republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader and converting measures in opposition to each other. This...is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution."1 This view, expressed by John Adams, was not shared by all, namely Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. As the early American government began to form, so did the two major political parties. Alexander Hamilton was the founder of the Federalist Party, while Thomas Jefferson led the Anti-Federalists in response.2 Both men used their prominence in each party to their advantage to influence the public and their disputes created controversy and discordance between the parties and the American people. Hamilton and Jefferson had many disagreements throughout their careers and had radically different opinions on what their new country should be like. After the American Revolutionary war, the budding country was deeply in debt. People had different ideas on how to pay off this debt, later leading to the formation of political parties. The Federalist Party was formed and they believed that it was in the new country’s best interest to have a strong centralized
Jefferson was the main advocate for a decentralized republic. He saw the benefits of a centralized government only in foreign relations, but opposed it in any other area. He supported farmers and southern interests, mainly large plantation owners such as himself.12 Jefferson formed the Anti-Federalist party, some known as the