Thomas Jefferson and his Democratic-Republican Party opposed policies that favored manufacturing and trade for several key reasons rooted in their philosophy and vision for the United States:
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Agrarian Ideal: Jefferson and his supporters believed in an agrarian society, where the backbone of the nation would be independent farmers rather than industrial workers. They viewed agriculture as a moral and virtuous occupation that promoted individual liberty and self-sufficiency. Jefferson feared that a focus on manufacturing would lead to urbanization, dependency, and a loss of personal freedoms.
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Distrust of Centralization: The Democratic-Republicans were wary of the central government becoming too powerful and favored a decentralized government. They believed that promoting manufacturing and trade through government policies could concentrate power in the hands of a few wealthy industrialists and banks, potentially undermining democratic principles.
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Economic Independence: Jeffersonians advocated for a nation that relied on its domestic resources rather than foreign trade and manufacturing. They saw economic independence as essential to national security, fearing that dependence on foreign markets would make the U.S. vulnerable to outside influences and conflicts.
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Moral and Social Concerns: The Democrats-Republicans were concerned that a focus on manufacturing might lead to social issues such as inequality, exploitation of workers, and the growth of a distinct social class of wealthy industrialists. They believed these changes could disrupt the social fabric of the nation and lead to moral decay.
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Political Alliances: Jefferson's party was closely aligned with the interests of agrarian America, particularly the Southern states and Western frontier regions, where agriculture was predominant. They sought to protect these interests against what they viewed as the elitism of the Federalists, who typically supported commerce and manufacturing.
In summary, the Democratic-Republicans, under Jefferson's leadership, expressed skepticism toward policies favoring manufacturing and trade as they aligned with an agrarian vision, sought to limit centralized power, desired economic independence, held moral concerns about societal impacts, and aimed to protect the interests of their core supporters in farming regions.