Influential men in the creation of the republic, Adams and Hamilton remained largely absent from each other’s lives besides a brief correspondence from Adams in July 1789 where requested the younger Hamilton allow his son Charles Adams to clerk for him because he wanted to “get him into some office in New York, and should give the Preference to you” but rested on two contingencies, one of which Adams suggested “you may become a Minister of State, or some other Thing better or worse than the Practice of the Bar, but, however, incompatible with it.” This letter underlines two facts; first, Adams held Hamilton in high regard by entrusting his son to him. Second, for Adams, it was apparent that Hamilton’s future laid in political office, not private …show more content…
Writing to historic painter John Trumbull, Adams stated “Our Secretary has, however, I think good Abilities and certainly great Industry. He has high minded Ambition and great Penetration” but he also pointed out his reservations about Hamilton “He may have too much disposition to intrigue” a trait that he viewed as the biggest threat to the Republic, and perhaps predicting correctly despite being ignorant of Hamilton’s role in the 1789 election. Hamilton’s time as Secretary of Treasury was brief but successful and even Adams deemed it so declaring “The Secy. of the Treasury is so able and has done so well that I have Scarcely permitted myself to think very closely whether he could or could not have done better.” Washington’s first term , characterized by Hamilton’s financial plan and his influence on the Executive office, put Adams in an inconsequential role. Adams and Hamilton had only professional correspondence discussing economic matters such as shipments and trade during Washington’s first term. Until this point, the two men traded praise of the other and they had an amicable, albeit minimal, …show more content…
Adams, whatever objections may be against some of his theoretic opinions, is a frim honest independent politician.” Pointing out potential disagreements they may share, Hamilton once again seemed to be settling for Adams in the role, rather than someone he strongly opposed, such as Clinton or Burr. Writing to John Steele, Hamilton did not ignore Adams’s flaws but asserted once again “we believe him to be honest firm faithful and independent – a sincere lover of his country.” After promoting Adams, Hamilton went on to attack his opponents Clinton and Burr. His influence is subject to debate and whether it played a role in Adams’s subsequent win is unknown. The closeness of the result, 77 for Adams to Clinton’s 50, regardless, was enough to enrage Adams and hurt his pride once again, he even attacked the system of election the country had implemented exclaiming “Damn ‘em, damn ‘em, damn ‘em. You see that an elective government will not do!” Perceiving the most minute action as a slight, it angered Adams that someone “his inferior in knowledge and government service, could pose a serious political threat.” Blinded by vanity, Adams lashed out at his opponents, the government, and
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the last living individuals from the first American progressives who had confronted the British people and manufactured another political group in the previous provinces. Then again, while they both trusted stock in vote based system and life, freedom and the quest for joy, their conclusions on the best way to accomplish these standards separated after some time. Later, serving two presidential terms, Jefferson and Adams each communicated to outsiders their appreciation the other and their longing to recharge their friendship. Adams was the first to end the hush; he sent Jefferson a letter around the time of new year’s, in which he wished Jefferson numerous great new years to come. Jefferson reacted with
Adams was a Federalist which meant he was upper class and wanted a strong central government and this showed when he led his country. He had to keep the nation stable amidst the French’s dislike for him that lead to the X, Y, Z Affair. The X, Y, Z Affair with France led to a three year long Quazi War that Adams had to keep the government stabile during. This led to him passing the Alien and Sedition Acts which were highly controversial and went against the first amendment. This was the first act of Adam’s presidency that went against the stability of the US government.
As a result of the millions of dollars in war debt that the United States faced, Hamilton was requested by Congress to present this report to the House of Representatives. As mentioned, Hamilton 's position was the Secretary of the Treasury; he was ultimately responsible for evaluating the nation 's economic state and making any recommendations necessary for improvement. With the nation in a financial crisis, Hamilton 's report was crucial to Congress. Thomas Jefferson was the author of “Thomas Jefferson on the Federalists, 1790”. His journal entry was clearly sparked by the issue of the Federalists promoting a monarchical government, but also a form of self-expression. Seemingly, Jefferson uses his personal writings not only to respond to ongoing problems in the newfound nation, but as a method to release his anger and frustration, much like any individual would in their private
The early lives of John Adams and John Quincy Adams are different. John Adams?s father, who also named John, sent his son ? young Adams to Harvard College at age fifteen, and he expected him to become a minister. His father was working hard to make young Adams?s life different than his own which was to become an educated person. However, John Adams did not want to become a minister. After he graduated in 1755, he taught school for few years in Worcester, and that allowed him to think about his career choice. After much reflection, he decided to become a lawyer, and studied law in the office of James Putnam, a prominent lawyer in Worcester. In 1758, he was admitted to the bar. He put the skill to good use as a lawyer, often recording cases he observed so that he could study and reflect upon them. His report of the 1761 argument of James Otis in the superior court of Massachusetts as to the legality of Writs of Assistance is a good example. On the other hand, John Quincy?s father which is John Adams did not push him to become a minister. Moreover, John Adams brought young Adams to France (1778 ? 1779) and to the Netherlands (1780 ? 1782) to acquire his early education at institutions at the University of Leiden. John Adams let his son explored the world more than his own father did. At age fourteen, young Adams accompanied Francis Dana on a mission to St. Petersburg, Russia, to gain recognition to the new republic. He also spent time in Finland, Sweden, Den...
With Washington out of running the nation, there was no "obstacle that remained to an open expression of the partisan rivalries that had been building over previous 8 years. Jefferson was untested candidate of the republicans which led to select Hamilton but he had created too many enemies to be a credible candidate so the vice president of George Washington, John Adams had been directly associated" (Brinkley, 176). The problem that Adams have faced through his presidency was that he himself was not a dominant figure in his own party because "Hamilton remained the most influential Federalist and Adams was never been able to challenge him effectively" (Brinkley, 177). Adams had only few skill as a politician. "Austere, rigid, aloof he had little talent at conciliating differences, soliciting support, or inspiring enthusiasm. He was a man of enormous, indeed intimidating, rectitude and he seemed to assume that his own virtue and the correctness of his position would alone be enough to sustain him" (Brinkley, 177). Around in 1800s bitter controversies shaped presidential candidates which was Jefferson and Adams. They were again the opposing candidates but it was very different than they had last time. Both themselves displayed reasonable dignity, but their supporters showed no restraint. "The Federalist accused Jefferson of being dangerous radical and
In the Revolutionary period, John Adams was a leader who was one of the founding fathers and advocate for the independence of America. He was a member of the Continental Congress. During the Revolutionary war, Adams served in France and Holland as a diplomatic role. After George Washington was elected as the President, he was put under Washington as the first Vice President. After Washington’s presidency, Adams, who was apart of the Federalists, got elected as President on March 4th, 1797 with Thomas Jefferson, his friend and rival as Vice President. John Adams was well known for his aloofness, and demonstrated passionate patriotism for America, he was also an independent man who did not care for the opinion of the public; except his wife
Everyone has heard the name Alexander Hamilton, but few are familiar with his views and actions regarding the survival of the young American republic. He could be recognized for anything from serving our fledgling country by fighting in the New York militia; to serving his community as a lawyer and as a national tax agent; to beginning his political career as a representative for New York at the National Congress. Though most would agree his most important contribution to our struggling republic was to spearhead the project which formed the doctrine helping to establish the foundation in which modern democracy is based, the Articles of Confederation.
Through his power as secretary of Treasury and his convincing intellectual efforts, he was able to dominate the nation's early political environment. Hamilton’s patriotic endeavors have proven to be durable and in the best interests of the United States.
Jefferson’s agricultural viewpoint was vastly different from Hamilton’s manufacturing perspective. Though they both envisioned a great and prosperous nation, they had contrasting opinions on how this should occur. Hamilton, a Federalist, believed the rich and powerful should be the central government for all people, as they knew better how to foster and protect the em...
Alexander Hamilton is born in the Caribbean to a middle working class family. His interest in math and stunning ability to do calculations appear to the individuals around him at an early age. In 1773, he leaves his home in St. Croix after the death of his mother and travels to America seeking higher education. Hamilton’s intentions are to attend Princeton University, although his proposal to the university of allowing him “to advance from class to class as much rapidity as his exertions would enable him” (27) are denied. This obstacle does not stop him and in 1774 starts classes at King’s College in New York, now Columbia University.
Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, two of the most distinguished leaders in United States history began to lay the foundation the future generations would build the government upon in the 18th century. After successfully becoming an independent country after the American Revolution, America faced the challenge of building a strong economy and constructing a stable government. Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson sought to develop ways to overcome these issues while building a strong Nation, however, these two influential leaders disagreed on the main issue concerning where the government's power should lay. From this issue, stemmed the disagreements on how to recover the Nation out of debt,
Two Founding Fathers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both discussed their views of aristocracy. The two disagreed on this subject, as they did on many others. In summary, Adams seemed to be more open to aristocracy, as long as it is controlled, while Jefferson rejected pseudo-aristocracy, he believed that natural aristocracy can and should be a result of government.
During the election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson succeeded in defeating the incumbent, John Adams, and assumed the presidency. In terms of elections though, the election of 1800 itself was a fascinating election in that it a heavily-contested election and was effectively the first time political parties ran smear campaigns against each other during an election. The Republican Party attacked the Federalists for being anti-liberty and monarchist and tried to persuade the public that the Federalists were abusing their power through acts such as the Alien & Sedition Acts and the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion (Tindall and Shi 315). The Federalists, on the other hand, attacked Jefferson for his atheism and support of the French Revolution and warned that his election would result in chaos (316). By the end of the presidential election, neither Adams nor Jefferson emerged with his reputation completely intact. Still, rather than an election between Adams and Jefferson, the election of 1800 ultimately boiled down to a deadlock between Jefferson and his vice presidential candidate, Aaron Burr, who each held seventy-three electoral votes, resulting in the election was sent to the House of Representatives. In the end, the deadlock was resolved only by Alexander Hamilton, whose immense hate for Burr allowed Jefferson to claim the presidency. However, the election of 1800 was more than just a simple presidential election. The election of 1800 was the first peaceful transfer of power from the incumbent party to the opposition and represented a new step in politics, as well as a new direction in foreign policy that would emerge from Jefferson’s policies, and to this extent, the election of 1800 was a revolution.
“[T]he man on the ten-dollar bill is the father of the American treasury system, a signer of the Constitution, one of the primary authors of the Federalist Papers, and the loser of the infamous duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. Alexander Hamilton's earlier career as a Continental Army officer is less well known. Yet Hamilton's first experience in public service is important, not only because it was the springboard to his later career, but because it also deeply influenced his values and thinking” (Hamilton).
Both Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were prominent members of society during the era after the revolution. Yet while these two men came from similar backgrounds and both believed in liberty and independence, neither of the two men could stand each other. This was mainly due to the fact that the two men had radically different views on various subjects, and neither was willing to give up or alter their view. Alexander Hamilton, one of the most important people of the time, was the first Secretary of the Treasury. Utilising federal power to modernize the nation, he convinced Congress to use an elastic interpretation of the Constitution to pass laws that Jefferson deemed unconstitutional.