Differences Between Hamilton And Jefferson

Contrary to these political figures’ many fear, their numerous hopes for America was what really called people to their unlike causes. Hamilton 's ambitious hopes for the United States were ultimately to be like Britain. His interests were surrounding the economy and industrial status of the United States. First and foremost, he wanted to increase trade with Britain (MP 163). Although this meant violating the Treaty of Alliance that American had signed in 1778, aligning them with France. Hamilton believed that trading with Britain, who was the manufacturing powerhouse of the world at this time, would boost America 's dire economy to new heights. Expanding on his economic plans, he also hoped to divide labour, because “it causes each task to …show more content…
Both ideologies ultimately came down to the Constitution, how it was interpreted and what should come out of the interpretation. One of the largest disagreements between Hamilton and Jefferson was at the root of the Constitution- how literally should the Constitution be taken? Hamilton’s interpretation of the Constitution was loose. He stretched the Constitution wherever he could to give the federal government more power than the state 's government. Jefferson disagreed with that interpretation and counted it by taking it literally, anything that wasn’t written wasn’t constitutional. He contradicts himself in saying this because he later states that, “any powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States.” (MP 173) Which would indicate that he did, in fact, believe that the Constitution can be implied, but only to give more power to the states, not the national government. The basis of these interpretations is what shaped the two first political parties, the Federalists, and the Democratic-Republicans. The Federalist based their principles off of Hamilton’s ideology. They believed that power should not be trusted in the common man, the wealthy elite should support the government more so than the common man, and America need to become an economic powerhouse in order to succeed. The Democratic-Republicans believed the opposite. They believed in states rights, in opposition to the strong centralized government that Federalists wanted, Also, they represented the common man and trusted them with the nation 's decisions, more so than the elites. Their economic approach reflected the needs of small businesses owners, farmers and individuals rather than of wealthy merchants and large commercial businesses.