jeffersonians and hamiltonians
...active and use a laissez-faire strategy when dealing with the people. Hamiltonians and every president in the late 19th century was pro-big business, so Cleveland was less involved in the economic lives of the big businessmen and intervened only when necessary. He followed the ideals of Thomas Hobbes and the ends of the Hamiltonians in that of law and order. The government should maintain law and order. Cleveland did other things as president to label him a Hamiltonian. First, he vetoed a pension bill that gave pensions to Civil War veterans. He also tried to lower tariffs. “He believed government aid like government regulation should be kept to a minimum, and therefore he opposed the protective tariff on the grounds that it interfered with the economic natural law” (internet source 1). These actions show that Cleveland used a laid-back strategy and provided no support for any one group. He didn’t want to intervene in the economic lives of his citizens. Cleveland was a very important Hamiltonian of the late 19th century. Another important Hamiltonian was John D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller was known for developing the Standard Oil Company. He was a very successful businessman in his time and is one reason why he can be labeled a Hamiltonian. Hamiltonians were all about wealth and hard work to obtain that wealth. Rockefeller worked hard for many years developing one of the most successful companies in the late 19th century and early 20th century. He was a very religious man and believed that “God would reward the chosen ones” (internet source 2). His religious beliefs followed the beliefs of John Calvin, another Hamiltonian. Hamiltonians thought that God knew everything and that some people were destined. Rockefeller’s success as a big businessman in the industrial society and his great amounts of wealth he accumulated throughout his life help sustain his Hamiltonian prominence. William McKinley was another important Hamiltonian. He was the 25th president of the United States. He was a Republican who was in favor of protecting businessmen and manufacturers. “McKinley, a man of moderation and compromise, held firmly to two beliefs: favorable tariff to stimulate American business and limited coinage of silver”. (internet source 3). Hamiltonian means included proposing tariffs to protect manufacturers. McKinley favored tariffs because they helped out the big businessmen and he hoped this would contribute to more prosperity for the nation. He developed the McKinley Tariff of 1890, which still stands as the highest tariff in the nation’s history. His advocate of limited coinage of silver also helps label him a Hamiltonian. Jeffersonians wanted free and unlimited coinage of silver, whereas the Hamiltonians wanted gold to be the basis for the national currency. McKinley’s interest in the wealthy and support for tariffs make him one of the most important Hamiltonians. Jeffersonians mainly consisted of people from different reform groups. One of those groups was the Googoos. The Googoos had three main objectives. They wanted to curb the power of big business, end corruption in government, and provide opportunities for lower and middle classes. One person that can be considered a Googoo is Jacob Riis. Jacob Riis was a protector of immigrants and the poor. He worked as a photographer and journalist to help show people what it was like to live in poverty. Riis was out to help the common man, a characteristic of the Jeffersonians. He wrote many books including, “How the Other Half Lives”, which depicted the lives of many poor immigrants. He was out to help the poor and wanted the government to intervene and take away power from big business, which he believed was causing poverty for many people. This was typical of a Jeffersonian, whom wanted a strong active government that was involved in the lives of its’ people, especially the poor. Riis is one Jeff...