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3.6.3 Unit 3 Test (TST) (1)

The document discusses the contrasting economic visions of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton during the 1780s to 1840s, highlighting Jefferson's preference for an agrarian society and Hamilton's advocacy for industrialization. It outlines how these differing perspectives shaped early American economic policies and debates, with Hamilton's industrial vision becoming more influential as the nation progressed. The text also touches on the political tensions surrounding these economic ideologies, particularly through figures like Andrew Jackson and the rise of industrial labor.

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5 views

3.6.3 Unit 3 Test (TST) (1)

The document discusses the contrasting economic visions of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton during the 1780s to 1840s, highlighting Jefferson's preference for an agrarian society and Hamilton's advocacy for industrialization. It outlines how these differing perspectives shaped early American economic policies and debates, with Hamilton's industrial vision becoming more influential as the nation progressed. The text also touches on the political tensions surrounding these economic ideologies, particularly through figures like Andrew Jackson and the rise of industrial labor.

Uploaded by

ecobikefm
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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APUSH

09/22/2024

3.6.3. Unit 3 Test (TST)

The 1780s to 1840s marked a period of significant change for the new United States of
America, as the nation began to search for itself as an independent identity. In this short period,
the country underwent many political, economic, and social transformations that laid the
foundation for its future development. The differences in vision between Thomas Jefferson and
Alexander Hamilton mirror the broader disputes, especially with regard to the economy and
moral development, over what type of country the U.S. should become. Jefferson was a
Democratic-Republican who felt that America's prosperity lay in its vast expanse of land and
farming. He was afraid that urbanization and manufacture would result in corruption and loss of
liberty. Contrarily, Hamilton was a Federalist who envisioned a strong industrial and commercial
economy. He believed that such a manufacturing base would raise the nation to independence
from any foreign power and entail economic stability. These crossroads of visions created the
debates for what U.S. economic policies would look like between 1780 and 1840. Hamilton's
vision became far more relevant to the economic development of the U.S. by the mid-19th
century because industrial growth and the expansion of manufacturing came to characterize the
era in the form of the industrial revolution, while the agrarian ideals of Jefferson still influenced
many rural areas.
Thomas Jefferson had envisioned that the United States economic foundation was to be
based on agriculture: farming as a virtuous and sustainable means of life for the new nation. In
Document A, Jefferson says that farming should be America's backbone and even claims that the
cultivators of the earth (farmers) were “the chosen people of God." Document A shows that
Jefferson feels that America need not invest in industrial development; instead, this could be left
to Europe and the U.S. should capitalize on the agricultural potential​in the fertile, vast land that
it has. Later into his presidency, Jefferson's views are similar but somewhat watered down by the
necessity of manufacturing to keep up with the rest of the world economy. Document C quotes
Jefferson saying, "The external pressures-foreign restrictions on trade-pushed the country to
develop some internal manufacturing. He still emphasizes agrarian values and suggests this
manufacturing shift is only temporary​." These documents illustrate Jefferson's continued
commitment to the role of agriculture over industry in the United States for economic and moral
development, even while the rest of Europe, especially Britain, was advancing at a rate never
seen before.
Alexander Hamilton held quite the opposite view; he felt that the future of the United
States was in building up a sound industrial base. In Document B, Hamilton outlines a program
to promote industry in his "Report on Manufactures." He argued that this would make the U.S.
independent from foreign powers, but most importantly, it would raise the levels of production,
provide more jobs, and increase national wealth through innovation and efficiency. Document B
shows Hamilton explaining the advantages of manufacturing, such as that almost every piece [of
labor] would be provided to hands capable of executing it, increasing immigration to further vary
the talents in the country." By the 1820s, Henry Clay, one of Hamilton's staunch followers on
economic policies, pushed the need for manufacturing. Document E shows Clay supporting
protective tariffs as a tool for the protection of American manufacturers and mechanics against
foreign competition. He warns that the repeal of such tariffs would flood the country with foreign
goods that would destroy the domestic industry​. In this, one sees how influential the ideas of
Hamilton were regarding industrial growth in the United States economic policy, especially in
the context of a rapidly increasing industrial and urban Western world.
The contest between Jeffersonian agrarianism and Hamiltonian industrialism set one of
the fundamental rifts in American economic debates. Some politicians supported Hamilton while
others did not. For example, Document F contains an attack on the National Bank of the United
States, the centerpiece of Hamilton's economic program, from Andrew Jackson, the president of
the U.S. from 1829 to 1837. For Jackson, the Bank only spoke for the privileged wealthy few
and endangered the rights of states and personal liberty for the common man. His message
exposed unresolved tensions between the agrarian ideals Jefferson represented and Hamilton's
promotion of centralization of economic power. Despite Jackson’s opposition to Hamiltonian
institutions like the Bank, the reality of economic development was leaning toward
industrialization. For instance, in Document H, Harriet H. Robinson describes how young
women, including herself, were drawn to work in the textile mills, symbolizing the beginning of
America's transformation from a largely agrarian society to a manufacturing powerhouse. These
documents show the growing industrialization of the U.S., despite political opposition to certain
aspects of Hamilton’s vision.

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