Jenna Melofsky

Stephanie Shim
Period 5A

Competing Visions Reading Notes

1. Introduction
a. Jefferson and Madison vs. Hamilton, Washington, and Adams (Federalists)
b. Jefferson and Madison advocate for farming/agriculture and expansion and have
an idealistic vision
c. Federalists are more grounded in reality, advocate for manufacturing/industry
d. French Revolution influences American events
e. War of 1812- US solidifies that its a country
f. the frontier shapes the American identity and produces nationalism, but it also
causes problems
2. Thomas Jefferson Celebrates the Virtue of the Yeoman Farmer, 1785
a. Thomas Jefferson was a racist person
b. America has a lot of land, almost seems as if it is never ending
c. Americans are people of virtue because we have access to land and work our
own land
d. if you invest in something, you will care about it
e. manufacturers are dependent on factors other than themselves, this is a negative
quality
f. wants an economy based on raw materials (makes slavery necessary)
g. Americans will be happy without refined goods, they dont need manufacturing
(unrealistic and idealistic)
3. Congress Establishes Its First Policy for Naturalization, 1790
a. someone has to live in the United States for two years to become a citizen
b. must be a good person and uphold the values in the Constitution
c. relates to the Alien and Sedition Acts
4. Alexander Hamilton Envisions a Developed American Economy, 1791
a. advocates for manufacturing, industry, innovation, diversity of talents
b. ideals similar to modern day America
c. increases in immigration (easier immigration) will lead to a larger workforce
d. manufacturing benefits farmers and the economy
e. more people will relieve a surplus of raw materials and help the economy
f. the economy relies on multiple factors
g. wants an independent country, an increase in manufacturing will allow this
because then there wouldnt be a need to buy manufactured goods from other
countries, economic nationalism
h. diverse economy
i. Hamiltons view of independence in on a much larger scale, Jeffersons view is
much smaller
j. foreign markets are unreliable, the economy will change
k. agriculture and manufacturing rely on each other
l. supply and demand is a complicated concept, Jeffersont concept of supply and
demand is much simpler
5. Thomas Jefferson Berates the Federalists, 1796
 Jenna Melofsky
Stephanie Shim
Period 5A

a. epitome of political diversity

b. basically, Jefferson throws shade at the Federalists
c. concerns of corruption in the government
d. liberty will always work out perfectly
6. C. William Manning, a Republican, Fears for the Future of the Nation, 1798
a. fears that people wont work for what they have
b. property distribution will always be unequal
c. people with white-collar jobs are more corrupt, dont work for what they have, and
look down on other people (blue-collar workers)
d. pushes the idea that Federalists are of a higher class
e. Federalists are greedy and only think about themselves
f. doesn't want Federalists to participate in the legislature
g. emphasis on the working man
h. labor is essential to the American identity
7. Thomas Jefferson Advances the Power of the States, 1798
a. Jefferson pushes the Kentucky Resolutions
b. attacks the Alien and Sedition Acts, see it as an overreach of government
c. people are not binded to the Constitution, it is a compact between state and
country
d. questions the power of the federal and state governments
e. how does the government work?
f. justifies his argument with the 10th amendment
g. asserts that government acts are void and not valid
h. who decides what is necessary and proper?
i. the Constitution has limits
j. state rights are good for the country as a whole (commonwealth)
k. challenges the Constitution
8. John Marshall Argues for the Primacy of the Federal Government, 1803
a. part of Judicial Review
b. challenges Jeffersons Kentucky Resolution
c. the Constitution is the foundation of the United States
d. the legislature has the power to fix mistakes and problems
e. Judicial Review replaces the Kentucky Resolutions
f. the Supreme Court can decide what is allowed and what is not allowed
9. Parson Weems Romanticizes the Life of George Washington, 1808
a. how should conflicts in visions be solved?
b. elevate the national memory and remind people of who they were
c. its okay to question the countrys identity
10. The Fears of the Federalists
a. Scared of Jeffersonian
b. Jeffersonians were naive
c. Feds didnt want to engage in war again
d. Mob action is created by Jeffersonians
e. Hamiltonians are manufacturers
 Jenna Melofsky
Stephanie Shim
Period 5A

f. Men make money

g. Women and children work to make ends meet
h. Hamilton predicted that (f and g)
i. Child labor was almost a core part of America
j. Dem-Rep party was a contradiction
i. Changed the way government was viewed
k. French Rev. as a caution or prediction (fairytale story with lessons)
l. Virtue
m. ...virtuous and moral citizenry could make a republic viable
n. Jeffersonians believed everyman was good, whereas feds were more reluctant to
believe that
o. Anything but the age of reason
p. Passion destroys reason (pg 24)
q. Feds believed the religious liberty might impose on the national establishment
r. Louisiana Purchase is unpredictable
s. Threat to social order
t. France???
u. Right to rebel vs. liberty
v. They want social order..earn your status
w. Kentucky resolution talks about secession
x. Jefferson is unstable and unrealistic
11. The Fears of the Jeffersonian Republicans
a. Jefferson believes the manufacturer's will continue to rely on importation
b. Men now have land and can create their wealth
c. People may not actually understand the economics of america and just follow the
ways of Europe
d. Industrialization
e. Very idealistic - never have international trade tensions,
f. Goals - get rid of national debt, reduce government spending(military), repeal the
acts letting government tax
g. Based on the foreign expansion policy
h. As long as there shall be vacant lands in any part of america
i. Perpetual youth not achievable but coveted
j. Louisiana destroyed any Malthusian doubts
k. Expansion would preserve, rather than undermine, the republican character of
America
l. Open international commercial order and absence of any competition in the
North
i. Must get rid of ideas of westward expansion and free trade
m. Irony- reduces military then the barbary pirates and war of 1812
n. Feds support unnatural decay
o. Malthus is fake news
p. Industry entrepreneur vs virtue and farmer