Founding Brothers Chapter Summary

In 1787, the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution to establish a new, stronger government for the United States. During George Washington’s presidency in the 1790s, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson argued over the role of the government as dictated by the Constitution. As a result, a two party system consisting of the Hamiltonian Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans emerged. To some extent, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson reflected the policies and beliefs of the Federalist Hamilton.

After the Revolutionary War, American politicians had to figure out how to run the new country. Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were two politicians in the Early Republic Era who greatly contributed to the shaping of the United States. Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, and Hamilton, a Federalist, disagreed about almost every one of each other’s core beliefs about what the country should look like. Although Hamilton’s view of the Constitution largely influenced the U.S., Jefferson’s ideal economy and belief in a strong state government shaped the Early Republic more.

Before they came to this compromise, the Americans were divided mostly between the North and the South. The states were still independent and against the idea of a federal government overruling the people of the states. If the South hadn’t made the deal to help the North with its debt, they might have fallen into a extremely severe depression, and the nation might not even be together. Hamilton understood the need for the states to stand on a united front, which is why he supported The North. Madison led the South, which was against the taking on of the rest of the countries debt due to already being rid of their own. Madison and Hamilton both knew that some form of federal government was needed, but Madison was not for one on this scale. The People still remembered what rule under Britain was like, and were hesitant to put themselves back into a situation where history could repeat itself. In the end, the two were able to come to an agreement. The South got to choose the capital’s location, therefore deciding the location of the heart and soul of the country. Both had logical views, but Hamilton was right to try and explain the importance of unity. Though it would not be the last step on the path to becoming a whole nation, it was a step in the right direction that wouldn’t have been taken without leaders such as

Washington’s administration was the part of his first leadership and management of the U.S government and they would be the people working with George Washington during his presidency.

The topic of the night was the national debt crisis. Alexander Hamilton, a strong supporter of federal assumption, and James Madison, a loyal Virginian, were among the guests of this carefully calculated soiree. Personal motivations of wealth and power guided their conversations. Hamilton’s economic plan was devised to benefit the urban elite, who were, in his mind, the keystone of American economics. States like Virginia that had managed to pay off large amounts of their debt, now risked being charged more in new taxes under Hamilton’s plan. Jefferson protested Hamilton’s proposal for this reason, predicting that the most important citizens of his Republican vision, the yeoman farmers, would suffer. By the end of the night a compromise had been made that appeased both parties: the federal government would assume the national debt, and in turn, the capital of the nation would move from Pennsylvania to Virginia, an easily accessible region for Jefferson and Madison. Their quiet conversations clearly displayed their sole concern for themselves, not the American people. In addition, the fact that their compromise was made privately proves the lack of respect they

A political party is an organization of people who share the same views about the way power should be used in a country or a society. During the 1790’s there were conflicts between America’s first political parties. They were the Federalists and the Republicans. The leader of the Federalists was Alexander Hamilton and he was George Washington’s Secretary of Treasury. Thomas Jefferson was the leader of the Republicans and he was Secretary of State for George Washington. Both men went head to head about what was best for the United States. Hamilton was for a strong central government, different areas of work to help provide for the country and he thought that the nation need a bank.

The transportation revolution is believed to have begun in 1807 when the government seemed it was going to become active in growing infrastructure. The treasury secretary, at the time, Albert Gallatin was asked to develop “a plan for the application of such means as are within the power of Congress, to the purpose of opening roads and making canals” (W&R). This plan was not to happen and throughout this revolution the government was only responsible for a few projects. Without much government aid, entrepreneurs took matters into their own hands, creating competition. This first started with the building of toll roads. While it is difficult to measure the economic impact that these roads played, they were a critical

    Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton both had very defined visions of the scope and power of the new federal government, how they saw the future of the economic development, and what the United States society should become. In my opinion Alexander Hamilton had more of an impact on the United States during the 1820’s and on contemporary government when compared to Thomas Jefferson. His policies did not strictly work during that time and many of his ideas are still seen in today’s society. Jefferson’s views and ideas on/of the national bank, higher tariffs, debt assumption, The Federalist Party, and his support of the ratification of the Constitution are all reasons in why his policies and visions came closer to becoming a reality.

The Hamiltonians, followers of Alexander Hamilton, and the Jeffersonians, followers of Thomas Jefferson created a faction of sorts after the establishment of the Constitution.

Alfred F. Young and Lin-Manuel Miranda write stories that fall back to the same time period of the American Revolution. In Young’s book, The Shoemaker and the Tea Party, the story of George Robert Twelves Hewes and his experience and a lower class shoemaker during the Boston Tea Party and The Revolutionary war. Later we see his life 50 years after the Tea Party. In the musical, Hamilton, Miranda tells the story of Hamilton from before the Revolutionary War until his death in 1804.

I believe that political parties were developed in the United States because they allow people to make decisions based on their beliefs. Both Hamilton and Jefferson were very great men but they wanted something different with the government.

Madison promised that he would aid the bill’s passage if Hamilton traded the rights of New York to be the nation’s capital. The deal was struck, the bill passed, and the event incidentally helped create the area now called Washington D.C. (PBS

Alexander Hamilton (2004) is a detailed true story of one of the most important figures in American history. It is based on Hamilton’s early life. As a politician, as a revolutionary war hero, and the first treasury secretary, Hamilton dedicated his life and intellect to unifying and strengthening the United States. Hamilton in truth did perhaps more than any other one person to secure the power of the American Union. Though he was never president, he was a hero deemed as a true founding father, title he kept till his death.

Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of Treasury of the United States, had a lot going for himself being a man that came from poverty to success, and he was a man “all powerful and fails at nothing which he attempts” admitted a congressman in 1791 (Tindall and Shi). Born in the Caribbean in the West Indies, abandoned by his father and orphaned at the age of 13 by his late mother who had died. Later moved to New York, became a lawyer and transitioned to nationalism thus giving him the important role of handling the weight of the debt America had accumulated $54 million deep after the Revolutionary War (Digital History). Hamilton saw the need for some financial credit to be given to America and he had the right idea by proposing a National Bank to his first president George Washington. Word dispersed of that proposal leading a