Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were well know to be political rivals. But as their political careers began, they were friends. While they were both in President George Washington's cabinet, they both thought very highly of each other. Jefferson even nominated Hamilton to be in the Philosophical Academy.
The rift between the two formed when Hamilton voiced his plan for the US economy. Apparently, some of the blame to the two's discourse is due to Washington. The poor guidelines for what a member of the cabinet does led both to believe that they were of most importance. While Jefferson believed he was in charge of all domestic affairs of the nation, Hamilton came into the position of Secretary of the Treasurer.
As they grew to be on either side of political debates, Jefferson often recorded some of his views upon Hamilton, calling him a "monarchist". Washington often wrote letters to the both of them, trying to reel them in to be able to accomplish more as a whole. However, Washington made sure to not directly call out either Jefferson or Hamilton leaving his letters incredibly cryptic,
"I do not mean to apply this advice to measures which are passed, or to any character in particular [...] l have given it in the same general terms to other Officers of the Government.”
However, Washington could not achieve peace between the two, and after serving his final term, both Hamilton and Jefferson came to form the earliest political parties, forming an arguably stronger, certainly more vocal government.
This is an interesting post about the complex relationship between two very famous individuals who are both prominent figures in American history. It is fascinating how Hamilton and Jefferson were each able to play key roles in the government of the United States during this time while maintaining such different perspectives about the way the country's politics should function. When Hamilton and Jefferson were part of the government together, it was a crucial time for the people to be united, as this period could make or break the country. The fact that the country was able to come out of this time of uncertainty about the future prosperous, even when Hamilton and Jefferson had both been very present in American politics with their opposing views, also says a lot about George Washington. His ability to still serve as president successfully and help the country become stronger in its early years of independence even with Hamilton and Jefferson together in his cabinet make his strong leadership skills perspicuous.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Hamilton and Jefferson were known to be rivals, I think their interactions with each other were very interesting. They had several disagreements, but eventually they came together for the Compromise of 1790. Jefferson and Madison agreed to support Hamilton's debt plan, while Hamilton agreed to move the U.S. capital to Washington DC. Jefferson and Hamilton were both very smart men and they knew how to negotiate with each other despite their different opinions. Eventually Hamilton even endorsed Thomas Jefferson when he ran for president in 1800. They certainly didn't get along well, but they knew how to compromise and resolve their arguments.
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