Question

What were Thomas Jefferson's arguments against Hamilton's financial program?

Southern states had paid their debts; the other states could do the same.
The paying of war debts by the Federal government would establish trust in the country.
Tariffs would hurt southern farmers.
A strong Federal government was vital for the nation.
The Constitution did not give the Federal government the right to create a national bank.
choose all that apply

Answers

GPT-4o mini
Thomas Jefferson's arguments against Alexander Hamilton's financial program included the following points:

1. **Southern states had paid their debts; the other states could do the same.** - Jefferson argued that the federal government should not assume the debts of states that had already paid off their obligations, which he believed was unfair to the southern states.

2. **Tariffs would hurt southern farmers.** - Jefferson was concerned that Hamilton's financial policies, including tariffs, would disproportionately affect southern agricultural interests, which relied heavily on trade.

3. **The Constitution did not give the Federal government the right to create a national bank.** - Jefferson believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution and argued that there was no authority granted to the federal government to create a national bank, viewing it as overreach.

The statement about the federal government establishing trust by paying war debts is more aligned with Hamilton's perspective, and the statement about a strong federal government being vital aligns more with Hamilton than Jefferson's views. Therefore, the applicable arguments Jefferson made against Hamilton's financial program are the first, third, and fourth options listed.