Alexander Hamilton, the secretary of Treasury, and Thomas Jefferson, the Secretary of State, were brought together in the cabinet by George Washington. Both men wanted the best for the United States, but they had little in common regarding political views and public policies, in fact, they're known to have been at odds more than once during the establishment of the governmental structure of this country. Even though they had more differences than similarities, they each contributed to providing the foundation of the American political system. And through their disagreements, they helped our forefathers see that all sides of an argument have to be considered and respected in the development process of America. .
Although Hamilton and Jefferson were radically different, they shared some similarities. Both Jefferson and Hamilton were prominent members of society during the ear after the revolution. They were also both college educated intellectuals and politicians. Both men understood the importance of a nation's economic success and the direct relationship to its government's strength. Both men wanted what was best for the country, but each had a totally different view as how to obtain this.
Because of their different views, not only by these two men, but by the political leaders of this time, there was a division among the leaders. They were divided into two fractions known as the Federalists and the Anti-federalists. Hamilton became the leader of the Federalists and Jefferson was the leader of the Anti-federalists or Democratic Republicans. The main difference between these two fractions was that the Federalists advocated a strong central government where as the other group favored increasing the common man's role in government. To better understand this, one must understand the specific differences in these two men's beliefs.
Hamilton was a strong supporter to a federal government. He wanted a powerful central government in a small group that knew what they were doing.
