Alexander Hamilton: The President
Alexander Hamilton came up with multiple political ideas while he was the Secretary of Treasury for President George Washington. Although he wasn’t president, there are many examples and instances that support the idea of the Virginian being a president for the early United States of America. The ideas that Hamilton surfaced to help the country started many arguments, especially between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Jeffersonians at the time disagreed with most of Hamilton’s ideas because Jefferson was not fond of his ideas, even though they could end up being helpful. In contrast to the Jeffersonians, the Hamiltonians believed that Alexander Hamilton should have been president because of his …show more content…
Hamilton’s first plan was to conquer the national debt by having the government fund at par and having the Congress pay for the states’ debts. All of the money to pay for these debts came from tariff revenues on foreign trade, meaning that the United States was unable to break ties with foreign countries until the debt was paid. This tariff showed how much the society supported Hamilton and would have loved to have him as president because “The first tariff law, imposing a low tariff of about 8 percent on the value of dutiable imports, was speedily passed by the first Congress in 1789, even before Hamilton was sworn in” (Kennedy 184). This shows that Congress supported him so much that they would adopt his ideas before he even held an official political position. The tariff was not the only financial aid included in his plan, but an excise tax on whiskey and a national bank was also in …show more content…
“Jefferson’s revolutionary viewpoints soon shaped the beginnings of a profound split in American politics. On one side… Alexander Hamilton… On the other side, centered on Thomas Jefferson…” (The First American Party System: Events, Issues, and Positions). Eventually, Jefferson and Hamilton argued over Hamilton’s financial plans, creating conflicts between Jeffersonians and Hamiltonians. The Jeffersonians were the ones who supported Jefferson and favored a powerful, yet not too powerful central government and a limit on presidency. The Hamiltonians were the people who agreed with Hamilton’s ideas and favored a powerful central government and a strong president. One of the most influential discussions between the two was the discussion over the national bank because the Jeffersonians were strict constitutionalists and the Hamiltonians were loose constitutionalists. These two political differences formed into the two political parties of the republicans and democrats because of the Hamiltonians’ and Jeffersonians’ differential views on the central government, presidency, and Hamilton’s financial ideas for the
Alexander Hamilton came up with multiple political ideas while he was the Secretary of Treasury for President George Washington. Although he wasn’t president, there are many examples and instances that support the idea of the Virginian being a president for the early United States of America. The ideas that Hamilton surfaced to help the country started many arguments, especially between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Jeffersonians at the time disagreed with most of Hamilton’s ideas because Jefferson was not fond of his ideas, even though they could end up being helpful. In contrast to the Jeffersonians, the Hamiltonians believed that Alexander Hamilton should have been president because of his …show more content…
Hamilton’s first plan was to conquer the national debt by having the government fund at par and having the Congress pay for the states’ debts. All of the money to pay for these debts came from tariff revenues on foreign trade, meaning that the United States was unable to break ties with foreign countries until the debt was paid. This tariff showed how much the society supported Hamilton and would have loved to have him as president because “The first tariff law, imposing a low tariff of about 8 percent on the value of dutiable imports, was speedily passed by the first Congress in 1789, even before Hamilton was sworn in” (Kennedy 184). This shows that Congress supported him so much that they would adopt his ideas before he even held an official political position. The tariff was not the only financial aid included in his plan, but an excise tax on whiskey and a national bank was also in …show more content…
“Jefferson’s revolutionary viewpoints soon shaped the beginnings of a profound split in American politics. On one side… Alexander Hamilton… On the other side, centered on Thomas Jefferson…” (The First American Party System: Events, Issues, and Positions). Eventually, Jefferson and Hamilton argued over Hamilton’s financial plans, creating conflicts between Jeffersonians and Hamiltonians. The Jeffersonians were the ones who supported Jefferson and favored a powerful, yet not too powerful central government and a limit on presidency. The Hamiltonians were the people who agreed with Hamilton’s ideas and favored a powerful central government and a strong president. One of the most influential discussions between the two was the discussion over the national bank because the Jeffersonians were strict constitutionalists and the Hamiltonians were loose constitutionalists. These two political differences formed into the two political parties of the republicans and democrats because of the Hamiltonians’ and Jeffersonians’ differential views on the central government, presidency, and Hamilton’s financial ideas for the