The division in opinion first became evident during the constitutional ratification of 1787. Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton had fundamentally different viewpoints on how the government should be run. A personal feud quickly evolved into a heated political rivalry, and the parties coalesced under these two prominent politicians after the National Bank debate. The Democratic-Republican party, established by Jefferson and James Madison, opposed the centralization of power, fearing that it would inevitably lead to a corrupt monarchy or plutocracy (Document #1). They envisioned the United States as a self-sufficient agrarian nation and supported the right of all people (or at least the white males) to have a …show more content…
He saw the common people as an unstable mob and doubted their ability to make sound political decisions, believing that power should rest only with the well-educated and those meeting property qualifications. The majority of the Federalist party consisted of rich merchants, lawyers, and the clergy who exercised power over the press and enjoyed greater prestige because of their association with Washington. Hamilton believed the future of the United States depended on the development of trade and manufacturing, and one of the functions of the federal government was to establish a stable currency and protect home