Hamilton and Jefferson Two Conflicting Visions Jefferson favors

Hamilton and Jefferson: Two Conflicting Visions *Jefferson favors weak central government and farming economy *Hamilton favors strong central government and commercial economy

Hamilton’s Economic Plan *Hamilton wants to pay off national debts from the Revolution *He also wants a national bank to print money, handle taxes *James Madison and others say government lacks power to create bank *Hamilton favors loose, Madison strict interpretation of Constitution

The First Political Parties *Two-party system—two political groups within the government *Federalists favor Hamilton, want strong central government *Democratic-Republicans favor Jefferson, want strong state governments *Federalist John Adams becomes president. Democratic-Republican Jefferson receives the 2 nd most votes and becomes vice-president. This is the first time we have 2 candidates from different parties that are president and vice president at the same time.

Election of 1796 • Adams was the candidate for the Federalist Party and Thomas Pickney was also running as a Federalist. The Federalists wanted Adams to easily defeat the Democratic. Republicans candidate of Thomas Jefferson. • On the Democratic-Republican ticket was also Senator Aaron Burr of New York. • Adams won the presidency by narrow margin of 71 electoral votes to Jefferson’s 68. • Jefferson becomes the vice president.

Election of 1800 • Thomas Jefferson, Democratic-Republican, beats President John Adams. • The Democratic-Republicans had planned for one of the electors to not cast his second vote for Aaron Burr. Causing Jefferson to receive one more vote than Burr. The plan did not happen this way and instead lead to a tied electoral vote between Jefferson and Burr. • The election was then put into the hands of the outgoing House of Representatives controlled by the Federalist Party. Most Federalists voted for Burr in order to block Jefferson from the Presidency, and the result was a week of deadlock.

Election of 1800 *Federalist Alexander Hamilton, hated both men but preferred Jefferson over Burr. Hamilton intervened on Jefferson's behalf, which allowed Jefferson to become the President. Hamilton's actions helped cause his duel with Burr, which lead to Hamilton's death in 1804. *In 1804, the Twelfth Amendment was ratified in stating that electors make a distinct choice between their selections for President and Vice President.