Examine and evaluate jefferson vs hamiltonbook essay. Law and identity in the early american republic is forthcoming from the university of virginia press. I purchased this book as a school textbook for one of my history courses. In this epochal debate, no two figures loomed larger than thomas jefferson and alexander hamilton. The rivalry that forged a nation is another masterpiece penned by the eminent revolutionary war historian john ferling this book is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the united states, especially the revolutionary war period. It was the conflict between jefferson and hamilton that gave rise to the political parties system noble 2007, p.
Alexander hamilton vs thomas jefferson chart thomas. This documentary study of thomas jefferson and alexander hamilton focuses on their differing views. After reading this particular book, i was able to get to the root of this. Indeed, the federalists, led by alexander hamilton, and the republicans also called democraticrepublicans, led by thomas jefferson, were the first political parties in the western world. The rivalry that forged a nation is another masterpiece penned by the eminent revolutionary war historian john ferling. Jefferson hated hamilton s fondness for paper currency and later wrote washington that he believed he had been duped by hamilton and made a tool for forwarding his schemes. Thomas jefferson democracy is defined as, a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections merriamwebster. To jefferson, hamilton was a counterrevolutionary who sought to mold the young united states in the image of europe. Read this american history essay and over 89,000 other research documents.
Jeffersons idealistic vision and purpose of america was not presented through the essays. Book essay the disagreements that occurred between thomas jefferson and alexander hamilton are very important to this country. The case for alexander hamilton s vision we live, without question, in hamilton s america, says stephen f. Paul finkelman recently wrote a fascinating piece in the new york times focusing on thomas jeffersons views on race.
Hamilton vs jefferson thomas jefferson vs alexander hamilton. Hamilton interweaves more than 40 documents to impart their differing views of society and government. Jefferson, by contrast, had supreme faith in the electorate and wished to guarantee the survival of liberty by improving the education of the common people. They both showed difference between them, when it comes to their thoughts and ideas.
Amh201008 february 22, 20 the country of the united states had many contributing factors to become what it is today. Both men were visionaries, but their visions of what the united states should be were diametrically opposed. The case for alexander hamiltons vision we live, without question, in hamiltons america, says stephen f. Hamilton is not a comparative study of jefferson and. Cunningham, the author of many books on the period, has skillfully assembled selections from the letters of jefferson and hamilton, their government reports. The people are turbulent and changing, he wrote in 1787, they seldom judge or determine right. Jefferson and hamilton is another masterpiece penned by the eminent revolutionary war historian john ferling. The book shows the evidence that both men had a good vision for future america.
Hamilton younger than jefferson by 12 years did not trust the general public. For hamilton, americas strength lay in its commerce. Both thomas jefferson and alexander hamilton were prominent members of society during the era after the revolution. Jefferson was always deeply committed to slavery, and even more deeply hostile to the welfare of blacks, slave or free. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the united states, especially the revolutionary war period. Knott, professor of national security affairs at shows this day in history. Jefferson, who was american ambassador in france from 1785 to 1789, never spoke french well, whereas hamilton, who never set foot in europe, spoke french fluently and was washingtons translator. There are two important people that pushed against each other so much when america started, that they helped to shape the united states towards what it has become. How the rivalry between thomas jefferson and alexander hamilton changed history. Their competing legacies, like the twin strands of dna, continue to shape our country to this day. On the other hand, jefferson s philosophy differed in the sense that it was more inclined towards the weak central government. Since this book compiled the works of jefferson, much of his character and his most important contributions were left unexplored. While hamiltons character is revealed thoroughly in his writing, jefferson, i felt, was not as forthcoming. Difference between hamilton and jefferson compare the.
Hamilton and jefferson were popular members of the society in the period after the revolution. Hamilton, a staunch federalist, and jefferson with his agrarian democracy, could not agree on much in regards to the structure and role of government. Amh201008 february 22, 20 the country of the united states had many. Two antithetical but complementary founding fathers, duly and exhaustively compared and contrasted. But the book serves as an excellent reminder that any generalization about. Chapter 2 hamilton and jefferson the men and their. Despite the enormous research already done in fleshing out the lives of the multitalented, ambitious jefferson and hamilton, ferling history, emeritusstate univ. No other statesman has personified national power and the rule of the favored few so well as hamilton, and no other has glorified selfgovernment and the. Thomas jefferson unlike hamilton, thomas jefferson was an aristocrat by birth and a democrat by conviction. The two contrasting visions of government of thomas jefferson and alexander hamilton betrayed two different understandings of american power and the american people. Thomas jefferson vs alexander hamilton, one of the chief rivalries at the center of american politics through the first two decades, split the nation by ideology and purpose. Thomas jeffersons farm book by thomas jefferson call number. National bank was created by the efforts of hamilton, and this was criticized by jefferson. If you are happy with big government, big banks, big business, big military, and judicial dictatorship, then you have hamilton to.
A conflict took shape in the 1790s between americas first political parties. The jefferson and hamilton on display here are fierce opponents, each absolutely convinced that the other was a danger to the fledgling country. This documentary study of thomas jefferson and alexander hamilton focuses on their differing views of society and government in the formative years of the new american nation. Jefferson and hamilton appear in this book as advocates and admirers of literature. While it is not a book i would choose to read for my leisure time, it is a great resource for those wanting to know more about the early history of america.
Hamilton accepted when burr challenged him to a duel. This book has encouraged me to find such a book to learn more about hamilton. However, i had never read a book dedicated to hamilton. Ferling has structured his book artfully, alternating portraits of these men at various stages of their lives with narratives of the historical context in. His proslavery views were shaped not only by money and status but also by. Interweaving more than 40 documents into 7 chronological chapters, the text follows the lives and careers of the two men from their youth, through the revolutionary war, to the death of hamilton in 1804. Hamilton star daveed diggs explains how thomas jefferson planted all those crops duration. Whose vision of america won outhamiltons or jeffersons.
The conflict that took shape in the 1790s between the federalists and the antifederalists exercised a profound impact on american history. He died with burrs bullet in his chest in weehawken, new jersey, on july 12, 1804. New york journal of books the authors comparative study is bold, brisk and lucid. Thomas jefferson to george washington, may 23, 1792 and alexander hamilton to edward carrington, may 26, 1792 in jefferson vs. Jefferson free printable reading with questions for high school united states history students. John ferling book the rivalry that forged a nation. Jefferson vs hamilton confrontations that shaped a nation. It ended only with the death of hamilton in a pistol duel, felled by aaron burr, jeffersons vice president. The federalists, led by alexander hamilton, who had married into the wealthy schuyler family, represented the urban mercantile interests of the seaports. Jefferson reading with questions student handouts a conflict took shape in the 1790s between americas first political parties. Jefferson and their oppositions jennifer maine american history to 1865. Noble e cunningham this documentary study of thomas jefferson and alexander hamilton focuses on their differing views of society and government in the formative years of the new american nation. This documentary study of thomas jefferson and alexander hami.
At age 14, the young jefferson inherited his fathers plantation and slaves. Request a sample or learn about ordering options for jefferson vs. Their first important clash was over the formation of the national bank hamilton favored itand won. A system of taxes through a tariff on imports was the chief point that hamilton insisted. Hamilton follows the lives and careers each man from their youth. Opposed ratification feared a strong central government would infringe on the rights of states and individuals. This documentary study of thomas jefferson and alexander hamilton f. From the beginning of their political careers, jefferson and hamilton were on the opposite sides of the spectrum, always disagreeing on. Readers without a favorite in the hamilton vs jefferson adulation debate soon learn that this author. Confrontations that shaped a nation bedford series in history and culture 9780312085858. Noble e cunningham this documentary study of thomas jefferson and. Jefferson and hamilton is the story of the fierce struggleboth public and, ultimately, bitterly personalbetween these two titans. The text follows the lives and careers of each man from their youth, through the revolutionary war, to hamiltons death in 1804. While the focus is on the critical election the first truly contested presidential election that led, eventually, to a peaceful transfer of power in the nascent republic this book spends considerable time providing biographies of the principals adams, jefferson, pinkney, burr, hamilton, and others involved in the contest.
399 970 259 311 819 912 34 240 982 1270 425 1345 1371 584 1421 836 1216 1055 327 1074 1516 68 51 1243 1162 532 1067 1002 643 1319 790 1104 491 303 1481 620 193