Jefferson viewed a strong federal state as a threat to the liberty of the individual states, distrusted bankers as exploiters of hardworking farmers, opposed the national debt, and was driven above all by a hatred of tyranny — placing him in direct ideological opposition to Hamilton.
Tom Holland explains that Jefferson and Hamilton were ideological opposites: Hamilton favored strong central government, banks, and debt, while Jefferson championed farmers, states' rights, and a hatred of tyranny. ✦ AI generated
Tom Holland · The Rest Is History · 2026-07-09 · original ↗
starts at this moment · 10:09
he sees a strong federal state as an enemy of the liberty of the individual states. Um he loves a farmer not a banker. He sees bankers as vampires sucking out the blood of hardworking noble American farmers. Um he doesn't approve of national debts. He loves France as we heard. Um and his great guiding principle is his hatred of tyranny.
verbatim transcript · starts at 10:09
10:09>> Banks. Yeah, >> he loves a bank. He loves a banker. Um, he loves the national debt. He loves Britain. He hates anarchy. Um, these are his principles. Jefferson is almost the polar opposite. So he um he sees a strong federal state as an enemy of the liberty of the individual states. Um he loves a farmer not a banker. He sees bankers as vampires sucking out the
10:35blood of hardworking noble American farmers. Um he doesn't approve of national debts. He loves France as we heard. Um and his great guiding principle is his hatred of tyranny. And so both men, Hamilton and Jefferson, see the other one, you know, not just as a political opponent, but pretty much as a kind of threat to the the liberty of the infant American republic. >> Yeah. >> And Jefferson's own take on their
11:00relationship in Washington's cabinet is that they were daily pitted in the cabinet like two Listeners can make of that one what they will. Um, and there is so much fighting going on between them that in the end Jefferson resigns. He resigns in 1793 because he recognizes that the disagreements between them can't be reconciled within the one government. >> So by now we have, as we were talking
11:23about last time, the beginnings of the first party system. So Jefferson is effectively the standard bearer, isn't he? Of the America's first opposition party. Yes. >> So the Democratic Republicans, as they're called, in opposition to Hamilton's Federalists. >> Yeah. And throughout this period, Washington, as you said in the previous episode, um tries to stay above the fray in a kind of Olympian manner. But it is obvious that throughout his presidency a
11:46two-party system is kind of evolving and that isn't something that the constitution had ever envisaged. Um that that was never kind of part of the plan. And on one side we have the Federalists. So Hamilton but also um John Adams an [snorts] old friend of Jefferson's Jefferson had hung out in France with John Adams and his remarkable wife Abigail. Um, so John Adams, Boston lawyer, >> this fantastically smart wife, and he