Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and the Character of the American Republic
mattmcculloch.substack.com
The feud between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, two giants of the early American republic, led to the two-party system that now dominates the United States. These men, opposites in their origins, temperaments, and politics, embodied differing visions for the character of their young nation. Jefferson’s vision of a republican utopia, populated by virtuous citizen-farmers, living simple, agrarian lives, stood in opposition to Hamilton’s expectation of an increasingly urbanised and industrialised society, whose geometric growth in wealth would be assured by banking and finance. Though Jefferson attained greater political heights, ascending to the presidency in 1800, it is ultimately Hamilton’s vision of for the modern state, with its central banks, stock exchanges, and urban populations, which lives on.
Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and the Character of the American Republic
Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and the…
Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and the Character of the American Republic
The feud between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, two giants of the early American republic, led to the two-party system that now dominates the United States. These men, opposites in their origins, temperaments, and politics, embodied differing visions for the character of their young nation. Jefferson’s vision of a republican utopia, populated by virtuous citizen-farmers, living simple, agrarian lives, stood in opposition to Hamilton’s expectation of an increasingly urbanised and industrialised society, whose geometric growth in wealth would be assured by banking and finance. Though Jefferson attained greater political heights, ascending to the presidency in 1800, it is ultimately Hamilton’s vision of for the modern state, with its central banks, stock exchanges, and urban populations, which lives on.