Cabinet Picks Clash: Washington’s Team and America’s First 2-Party System
“I would wish the debt paid tomorrow; he wishes it never to be paid, but always to be a thing wherewith to corrupt and manage the legislature.” This slapback from Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson was aimed squarely at Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton....
Executive Branch: President, not a King (Federalist Arguments)
American presidents act almost like elected kings, with vast powers and very little accountability. But that wasn’t the plan. Responding to anti-federalist warnings that presidents would eventually degenerate into a type of monarchy, Federalists like Tench Coxe, John...
Was the Constitution Sold on a Lie? Shays’ Rebellion and Ratification
Shays’ Rebellion was repeatedly cited by Federalists as a primary reason to replace the Articles of Confederation with a Constitution with a stronger central government. But what if the threat was exaggerated? Anti-Federalists sure thought so. In this episode,...