Comparative Essay between Thomas Jefferson's and

            Two great political leaders were Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson who had differing opinions on how to run the United States of America in the late 1800's. Hamilton and Jefferson had many disputes on issues in the country, such as the national banking system, the role of the government, and how to interpret the constitution. .
             Jefferson wanted a country of farmers, where as Hamilton wanted a country of industry with shipping and manufacturing. Hamilton proposed a national banking system which would set up banks all over the country to keep commerce flowing and to keep business leaders happy by building a bank capitol (American Memory Historical Collections). Jefferson feared it would hurt farming interests because it would encourage financial speculation (White House). This shows the difference in economic views of Jefferson and Hamilton. .
             Both Jefferson and Hamilton were brilliant men, with differences in opinion on the role of the government. Neither Hamilton nor Jefferson were very happy with the proposed constitution. Hamilton wanted a strong national government, with a form of aristocracy for leaders. Hamilton always tried to exclude anyone who wasn"t smart and wealthy. Jefferson wanted a more democratic structure with less power to the national government. He was always trying to include people in the process of the government (Noble E. Cunningham, Jr.). Therefore, Hamilton was like a modern day Republican and Jefferson was like a modern day Federalist. .
             The interpretation of the constitution differed between the political views of Jefferson and Hamilton. Jefferson believed that the national government was limited to the powers granted to it in the constitution. Thus when a question arose about states rights, there was very close reading of the constitution on what its intent was. Hamilton however wanted the government to be strong and reliant on its leaders to make all decisions.