In the early ages of the American society, there were two major parties that were the factions of society. They were led by Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Both held different values regarding the amount of power, and influence government should have upon society. Hamilton’s group, whose people are known as Hamiltonians, believed in a strong central government, earning them the title of Federalists. Jefferson’s group on the other hand, believed in state’s rights, and for states to hold more control within their jurisdictions. This group would be known as the Democratic – Republican Party. These two parties both differed ideologically about how to best run the country. The two most major ways they disagreed were in political philosophy, and their outlooks on our county’s economic and social future. In regards to political philosophy, Hamiltonians felt that there was a need for a strong central government, while the Jeffersonians believes in a weaker central government. The Hamiltonians viewed the perfect government as one that was able to tax the people and stay debt free.
A model common with the British government that was fought against in the Revolution. Opposing their view was the Jeffersonians. They believed that the state’s should hold their own power, and be able to tax as they felt. Because of the different beliefs, this led to separation and division amongst the newly formed states. More often than not, the New England states were siding with Hamilton, and states going through a developmental period economically sided with Jefferson. Jay’s Treaty is a major example of how different the two parties thought. The Federalists believed that the new treaty would be beneficial to the people of America, by opening up trade with the British and rebuild the relationship. On the other hand, the Democratic – Republicans viewed this treaty as an attempt or method to have British goods, and companies reemerge in American society, eventually leading us back to the evil we freed ourselves from. As a party, the Federalists strived towards a strong economy and a debt free country. Democratic – Republicans felt that the status of the separate states was more important than the overall country.
