U S History to 1865 09 05 2013Class Notes History 1311 012 Dr Pinkney The New American Nation and Political Division I Hamilton and Jefferson II Hamilton as Sec of the Treasury A Financial Plan 1 2 Report on teh National Bank 3 Report on Manufactures B Results III Domestic Issues and Political Divide IV Foreign Affairs and Political Divide A French Revolution B Violations of AM Neutral Rights 1 Citizen Genet 2 Search and Seizure Impressment V Election of 1796 Adams Administration A XYZ Affair B Alien and Sedition Acts C Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions Rough Lecture Notes george washington becomes first pres and congress meets for the first time 1789 still deep division in America states power vs central gov power in terms of politics political parties do not exist fed and antifed are not parties by 1800 there are two distinct parties and americans begin to relate to either of them by 1796 can see the political division two parties by 1800 republican party and the federalist party republic party in these notes is not the republican party today events can be divided into domestic issues and foreign affairs issues Alexander Hamilton is one individual that would represent the beliefs of the federalist party Thomas Jefferson is the one individual that would represent the beliefs of the republican party What divides them is what divides republicans and federalists process to form a political party process occurred over the decade of the 1790s Alexander Hamilton background of all the fouding fathers hamilton was the only one not born in the 13 colonies he was born in 1755 on an island in the british west indies island of Nevis not have an auspicious beginning his birth was illegitimate mother dies around him being 13 father has already left hamilton was extremely intelligent worked for st croix church he impresses his minister and people at the church he is working for and he gains the privilage to attend school in the colonies he went to kings college when the revolution came he supported it his intelligence serves him well and he quickly becomes the aid of washington hamilton is close to the revolutionary war but he played a military role in the battle of yorktown he led a charge against a british defense position this led to him being viewed as a hero after the revolution he goes back to new york to study law participates in the first constitutional convention hamilton supports the constitution but was not happy with it he wanted more power to the federal government he was one of the authors of the federalist papers he was intelligent but also very ambitious he wants success and he wants power in the midst of this hamilton marries very well he marries into the schuyler family a very powerful political family Beliefs negative pessimestic view of human beings they were inherently evil corrupt sinful greedy creatures most are incapable of making decisions for the common good those capable of holding political and economically power are the rich and the well born these are the people who can control their emotions and control the negative aspects of human beings they will make decisions based on what is good for the colonies he trusts the elite of society but not the mass of ordinary people because of this hamilton wanted a strong central government that government should be controlled by the elite fear of disorder and anarchy role of government is control prevent the masses from disorder from dipping into anarchy in the long run he believes the common folk will be better off in this respect he respects englands social order not the aristocracy the division of classes had produces political stability economic prosperity hamilton wanted the US to industrialize as soon as possible so that they could become competition to England the faster industrialize the sooner economic stability Believes that the government should back this plan for industrialization he wants the government to stimulate the economy hamilton and federalists held a loose interpretation of the constitution Thomas Jefferson Background born in virginia comes from a comfortable beginning his mothers family traces back to the first to settle his father is a successful land surveyer he attended somewhere and practiced law jefferson served in the lower house of burgesses when virginia was still a colony jefferson wrote the declaration of independence during the revolution he served as governer of virginia he served as the american ambassador to france privilaged background and politically experienced Beliefs he was a creature of enlightenment he accepted much of enlightenment thought and theory he shared the belief that humans are basically good when given the choice they will take the positive choice human beings are rational when educated even common men would decide for the good of all believes through education human beings can be improved supports public education does not exist now role of government should be to protect liberty as he said in the declaration of independence their vision of the purpose of government is different from the federalists protect that for every citizen not just the elite he feared tyranny and loved liberty he believes the central government should be weak he wants powers to be distributed to the states pro french two reasons he believes the US owes a debt of gratitude to the french the french people began a revolution of their own jefferson and many americans were excited bunch of people fed up with monarchical rule and are rebelling another reason might be the ralationships he built up with the french when he was the ambassador to france Jefferson wanted an agrigarian form of development he did not want huge cities where common people have to live in filth jefferson argues that the yeoman farmers are the lifeblood for the economic stability of the nation adoption of Laissez Faire Let it be philosophy believes that the government should not get involved in the economy strict construction of the constitution strict interpretation of the constitution 1789 new constitution with no political party in the decades of the 1790s jefferson and adams who were close in the revolution differed in the 1790 adams becomes a federalist they dont communicate for a very long time because of this differing in ideas jefferson and adams die on the same day july 4th 50th anniversary of the signing of the declaration of independence too often we put the founding fathers on pedestals withouting realizing that they