Create a new account

It's simple, and free.

Alexander Hamilton

ubted whether anything short of it would do in America.

The delegates were sharply split over what form of governance would work best in the United States. While most had agreed that reforms were desirable, there was little agreement on which types of reforms were best. Most of the delegates firmly believed in some form of republican government; a few believes in a pure democratic form of government; and some were far more interested in protecting property rights than ensuring political rights. Alexander Hamilton clearly fell into this latter group.

Since most citizens in 1787 were poor and without property, most of these delegates were afraid that if the citizenry had too much control over government, the majority might threaten the property rights of the wealthy minority. In fact, there had been a few instances in which state legislatures, directly accountable to the voting public, dissolved some debts in response to demands from farmers and the poor. Thus, there was a great deal of discussion at the convention about the inevitable ôlevelingö of property that could result from an excess of democracy. The only safe government, many delegates felt, was one guided by the wealthy and intellectual elite who could be counted on to protect property rights. Hamilton expressed this anti-democratic sentiment quite bluntly: ôAll communities divide themselves into the few and the many. The first are the rich and well-born, the other the mass of the people. The people are turbulent and changing; they seldom judge or determine right. Give therefore to the first class a distinct, permanent share in the government. They will check the unsteadiness of the second and as they cannot receive any advantage by change, they therefore will ever maintain good governmentö (Farrand 412).

Most delegates agreed more or less with HamiltonÆs sentiment, but few were willing to go as far to protect property rights as Hamilton. Most delegates envisio...

< Prev Page 2 of 8 Next >

More on Alexander Hamilton...

Loading...
APA     MLA     Chicago
Alexander Hamilton. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 04:42, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1709819.html