Hamilton v. Jefferson: Founding Rivals
Tension between two opposing historical figures has not impacted American history more than the rivalry between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Both were charismatic, brilliant, ardent revolutionaries whose fingerprints are embedded in the documents which serve as the foundation of the nation. This workshop is an examination of the lasting influence of two of America’s most controversial and revered Founding Fathers and how their conflicting aspirations and interpretations of the Constitution created the modern political system, irrevocably altering America’s social, political and cultural development and Americans' perception of themselves and their place in the world.
Unfortunately - there are no videos of Jefferson and Hamilton as they duked it out in Washington's cabinet meetings, no gotcha photographs in the Daily Mirror of Jefferson with Sally Hemmings, or Hamilton with Mrs. Reynolds. Instead, we must rely of documents. Lots and lots of documents. To get an understanding of the basic philosophies of the two men, we will consult:
We will then look at the historical and contemporary impact of these dueling ideologies in American history:
This seminar can be broken up into two sessions - document review/analysis, and applications, as time allows (or demands!) Please let me know how long the session will be so I can tailor the session to meet time constraints.
Unfortunately - there are no videos of Jefferson and Hamilton as they duked it out in Washington's cabinet meetings, no gotcha photographs in the Daily Mirror of Jefferson with Sally Hemmings, or Hamilton with Mrs. Reynolds. Instead, we must rely of documents. Lots and lots of documents. To get an understanding of the basic philosophies of the two men, we will consult:
- The Declaration of Independence
- The Constitution
- The Bill Of Rights
- Federalist Paper No. 9
- Federalist Paper No. 71
- The Kentucky Resolves
- Selected letters of Thomas Jefferson
We will then look at the historical and contemporary impact of these dueling ideologies in American history:
- The Civil War (1861-1865)
- The New Deal (1932-1938)
- The 1960s
- The Tea Party (2010-present)
This seminar can be broken up into two sessions - document review/analysis, and applications, as time allows (or demands!) Please let me know how long the session will be so I can tailor the session to meet time constraints.