“I am for preserving to the States the powers not yielded by them to the Union, and to the legislature of the Union its constitutional share in the division of powers; and I am not for transferring all the powers of the States to the general government, and all those of that government to the Executive branch. I am for a government frugally administered... and not for a multiplication of offices & salaries merely to make partisans, & for increasing, by every device, the public debt, on the principle of its being a public blessing.”
—Thomas Jefferson, letter to Elbridge Gerry, 1799
Which of the following debates in the 1790s most directly prompted the criticisms expressed in the excerpt?
- The debate over the constitutionality of Alexander Hamilton's financial program and the scope of federal powerAnswer
- BThe debate over whether to replace the Articles of Confederation with a stronger central government
- CThe debate over whether to form a permanent military alliance with Great Britain to counter French power
- DThe debate over whether the executive branch had the unilateral power to declare war without congressional approval
Answer
The debate over the constitutionality of Alexander Hamilton's financial program and the scope of federal power
The correct answer is correct because Jefferson’s specific criticisms of treating the public debt as a 'public blessing' and the expansion of the executive and federal governments are direct references to his opposition to Alexander Hamilton’s economic policies. Hamilton's plan to fund the national debt at par and assume state debts was designed to tie the interests of wealthy creditors to the federal government, a policy Jefferson and his allies strongly opposed as an unconstitutional overreach of federal authority.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The political divisions of the 1790s, particularly the debate over Hamilton's financial plan and the division of power between the states and the federal government.
Estimated Time:1m 30s