Alexander Hamilton's Influence On Government

As one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Alexander Hamilton had an immense influence on the development of America during the years following the Revolutionary War. He can be largely attributed to the survival of the young country that had been once been on the brink of failure following the winning of its independence. Influenced by the economic theories and philosophies developing in Europe during the same period, Alexander Hamilton applied his strong nationalistic approach to both the government and the economy. Through this approach and his various views on society, he proved capable of leading the nation from being an exhausted country lacking authority to being a nation that fostered economic prosperity and vitality. From …show more content…
Jefferson placed trust in the common people who had for long lacked a voice in politics, believing that when given the proper rights they could successfully govern the country. Hamilton, on the other hand, took a more pessimistic approach. He believed the public naturally had selfish tendencies that would impede on their ability to make wise decisions for the country. This viewpoint was similar to the stance of Thomas Hobbes, who believed that the natural state of humanity was to violently struggle for power and wealth. In fact, Hobbes and Hamilton both shared the same view that a strong central authority was necessary to maintain peace and order. However, Hamilton also believed that humanity had redeeming qualities as well, writing that should one view humanity “without either flattering its virtues or exaggerating its vices,” meaning one should simply look at humanity as it is. Because of this ideology, Hamilton deemed it necessary that a form of government accounted for both humanity’s virtuous and corrupt …show more content…
With regards to religion, Hamilton was a deist, meaning he viewed God as creating the natural order and laws of the world but as not influencing the everyday actions of individuals. He joined with the rationalist views of the age by believing that God granted the human mind the ability to discover all the laws of the universe. With regards to the role of women in society, Hamilton seemed to have high esteem for women based on his relationship with his wife. He sought her opinion on even political affairs and bestowed upon her responsibilities such as negotiating the purchase of their house. He even sought her approval on his early drafts of Washington’s “Farewell