Amanda Chen

AP US History
10/09/13
Period 3

RAH Chapter 5 Assignment

Section I.
Jefferson and Hamilton both had different views on the National Bank. While Jefferson
believed that the National Bank was unconstitutional, Hamilton believed that it was
constitutional. In Jeffersons view, the National Bank was unconstitutional because he believed
that all powers not delegated the United States, by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states,
[were] reserved to the states, or to the people. He believed that taking a single step beyond the
boundaries would cause the powers of Congress to become undefined and that it would give
Congress a sense of unlimited power. Jefferson also believed that, although a bank was
convenient for the collection of taxes, the Constitution only allowed the means which [were]
necessary, meaning the bank was only convenient and unnecessary. However, Hamilton
believed the opposite of Jeffersons views. Hamilton believed that the National Bank was
constitutional because he also believed that implied powers [were] to be considered as
delegated equally with express[ed] ones. Although both Jefferson and Hamilton had differing
views, they also both made sense; however, Jeffersons made the most sense. The argument of
Jeffersons made it evident that powers given outside of the Constitution would give a sense of
unlimited power. Because of this, it was the argument which made the most sense.

Section II.
Thomas Jefferson favored an agricultural economy. He believed that such an economy
would preserve happiness and permanence of government, while manufacturing would cause a
corruption of morals in the people. Jefferson believed that it was better to keep manufacturing in
Europe, instead of the United States, because bring[ing] them to the provisions and manners
would also bring along their manners and principles. Hamilton, on the other hand, favored an
industrial economy. He believed that the trade of a country, which is both manufacturing and
agricultural, [would] be more lucrative and prosperous than that of a country which is merely
agricultural. Not only that, Hamilton believed that with manufacturing the United States would
recover fastest from the injuries of the late war and bring wealth, independence and security to
the country, which connected with the prosperity of manufacturers. With manufacturing,
Hamilton believed that the United States would be saved from the extreme embarrassments
from which during the late war, had an incapacity of supplying themselves. While their views
differ, it is mainly because Jefferson thought of the consequences of the people and Hamilton
thought of the future of the country.
Section III.
Alexander Hamilton believed that the common man was incapable of participating in
government and that the government should have been a province of the educated and wealthy.
He believed that people are turbulent and changing and that they seldom judge or determine
right, causing him to not believe in the common mans ability to make an intelligent vote in a
democratic system. Because of that, Hamilton believed in a republican form of government,
which limited the voting rights to a few. However, in contrary to Hamiltons beliefs, Thomas
Jefferson believed in the ability of an educated common man. Jefferson believed that if every
individual were to participate in the ultimate authority, government [would] be safe. If there
were corruption between the government, then every man would have to pay his own price.

Section IV.
Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson have many differences. There are difference
in views and also people. While they explained their differences and reasons, it was obvious
there were some personal reasons and also political. In Hamiltons letter, he wrote [w]hen any
turn of things in the community has threatened...embarrassment to me, [Jefferson] has not been
able to suppress the satisfactions which it gave him. Hamilton pointed out the possibility that
Jefferson brought an Anti-federalist newspaper conduction to oppose him and write not against
the views of Mr. Jefferson. In Jeffersons letter, it was more political sounding than personal.
Jefferson stated that he valued too highly to risk by usurpation on [his friends] freedom of
judgment, thwarting of Hamiltons accusations of having an Anti-federalist write the newspaper
against Hamilton. Jefferson stated the reason for his oppositions was because he disapproved of
the system of the Secretary of the Treasury, believing his system flowed from principles
adverse to liberty, and was calculated to undermine and demolish the Republic, by creating an
influence of his department over the members of the Legislature. Many points in both Hamilton
and Jeffersons letters were important in explaining the reasons for their oppositions to each
other. It seemed that although their problems started out political, it shifted into personal
problems as well; however, neither of them were in the greater right nor wrong.