Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton

Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743 in Virginia (Whitehouse.gov, n.d., para. 2). He came from a rich family, which afforded him to be very well educated. Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence; served as minister of France, governor of Virginia, secretary of state during George Washington’s presidency, and vice-president under John Adams (Thomas Jefferson, n.d., para. 1.) He was also the third president of the United States. Jefferson was an avid opponent of royal ruling and the suppression of individual’s rights, “…I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man” (Whitehouse.gov, n.d., para. 1).

Alexander Hamilton was born an illegitimate child in 1755 in the West Indies to a financially struggling family (Alexander Hamilton, n.d., para. 2). He did not receive his formal education until he was sponsored by family friends who were impressed by his ambition. He chose a military career and served as George Washington’s secretary and aid. After the revolutionary war, he became a lawyer, served Congress, and founded the Bank of New York. He was also the first secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton had no faith in common people and wanted to control them, “In the general course of human nature, a power over a man's subsistence amounts to a power over his will” (brainquote.com, 2011, p.1).

Both, Hamilton and Jefferson were founding fathers. They saw the need for a successful American government, and the need to re-write the Articles of the Confederation. Both wanted America to succeed and become a great nation. However, they had different opinions on how the nation should get there and who should be in power.

“Hamilton feared anarchy and loved order; Jefferson feared tyranny and loved liberty” (Tindall & Shi, 2010). Jefferson had an agricultural background due to his family. Unlike Hamilton who favored industrialism and manufacturing to make the United States a rich nation, Jefferson favored agriculture and felt that the states themselves and the common people should carry more power than the federal government. Hamilton was seen an elitist, who despite his poor background, saw the common people more as a means to an end. He considered them as the workforce and the base of income by levying taxes. In his opinion only rich and educated people should be a part of the government and that the federal government should carry all the power. Thomas Jefferson was appalled by Hamilton’s willingness to demonstrate military force against common people who were standing up for their rights.