After the passage of the United States Constitution, the founding fathers faced a difficult question: What kind of country should we be? How democratic should we be, and much free speech should we have? Discover the different visions that such prominent Americans as Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson had for the new nation, from a mercantile and manufacturing powerhouse to an agrarian economy built on small-scale subsistence farmers.

Concepts

george washington, united states presidents, thomas jefferson

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Additional Tags

democratic republicans, thomas jefferson, george washington, social studies

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Classroom Considerations

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Details Hamiltonian economy, strict constructionists, whiskey tax, foreign entanglements and the Jay treaty, election of John Adams, origins of the electoral college system, and more
• Includes primary source quotation of George Washington's warnings against political parties

Cons

• Queue video to skip initial third-party advertisement

Common Core

SL.9-10.5 SL.11-12.5 RH.11-12.7