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

1 answer

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.