Jefferson vs. Hamilton Democratic Republican vs. Federalist Jefferson Image Jefferson acted with democratic simplicity; he made his image plain and disliked people claiming positions that they didn’t deserve. He won the 1804 reelection easily Jefferson eliminated the feeling of majesty surrounding presidency Views He was a political genius, and worked as leader of his party to give the Republicans in Congress direction. Money Washington and Adams had increased national debt and taxation.
Jefferson countered this in 1802 by having Congress get rid off all internal taxes, leaving only land sales and customs duties He also cut government spending, which resulted in cutting the debt in half. Military Jefferson scaled down the armed forces and the navy, because he feared limiting civilian freedoms and government. This also promoted overseas trade instead of agriculture. At same time, he established US Military Academy and built up the navy after threats by pasha of Tripoli (rulers in Libya), which occurred because Jefferson’s end to paying ransom demanded by pirates.
Social Composition Jeffersonians, for the most part, were artisans, shopkeepers, frontier settlers, or owners of small farms in the interior regions of the South and West. Government (Democratic Republican) Jeffersonians favored a form of government that was more democratic than that of England. Jeffersonians thought that the common people were capable of self-government. They wanted to establish a small property owner’s democracy. Jeffersonians desired to increase the opportunities for the common people to participate in government by lowering voting qualifications.
Jeffersonians favored a strict interpretation of the Constitution to limit the powers of the central government and conserve state rights. Jeffersonians wanted to reduce the number of federal officeholders. Hamiltonians Social Composition Hamiltonians, for the most part, were merchants, bankers, manufacturers, or professional men from New England and the Atlantic seaboard, along with some wealthy farmers and southern planters. Government (Federalists)
Hamiltonians admired the English aristocracy and the English system of government and wished to see it used as a model. Hamiltonians considered the common people ignorant and incapable of self-government. Hamiltonians desired high voting qualifications, claiming that unfettered democracy was anarchy. Hamiltonians favored a broad interpretation of the Constitution to strengthen the central government at the expense of state’s rights. Hamiltonians wanted an expanding bureaucracy. Hamiltonians, under certain circumstances, favored restrictions on speech and the press. Issue |Hamilton |Jefferson | |BUS ( Bank of the United States) |Yes |No | |Constitution Interpretation |Broad |Strict | |Tariff |Yes |No | |Region |North |South | |Federalism |Strong National Government |States | |Culture |Urban/Industrial |Farmers/Agrarian | |Whiskey Rebellion |Vote |Civil Disobedience | |Foreign Alliance (England/France) |England |France | |French Revolution |No |Yes |