HIST 190 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Xyz Affair, Pennsylvania Abolition Society, Whiskey Rebellion
Document Summary
Hamilton felt the best way for the nation to grow and prosper was through the economy. This could not happen with a weak central government. Support for hamilton"s plan came from financiers, merchants, and manufacturers. Hamilton"s plan also necessitated close ties with britain. Madison and jefferson felt this benefitted bankers and business leaders who they felt were not the core of the american citizenry. They saw the west as the important economic factor in the growth of the us. They wanted a nation of independent farmers who grew grains and cash crops in a free trade market. Free trade was a leveler that all could benefit from, whereas tariffs and subsidies targeted specific groups. They argued that hamilton"s system undermined american liberty and benefitted the elite at the expense of the poor (war bonds, whiskey tax, etc. ) The hamilton/jefferson debate was often divided along regional lines (north/south)
