Jefferson and Hamilton differed vigorously on what the new nation should be like. Jefferson wanted a nation made up of small farmers who would all be equal to one another. Hamilton wanted a nation with a diversified economy (including manufacturing) and did not really care if there were economic inequality. This led to disagreements on many specific issues. One was on how to interpret the Constitution. The Jeffersonians wanted a strict construction of the Constitution that would not allow Congress to do anything the Constitution did not specifically allow. The Hamiltonians wanted and expansive construction of the Constitution that would give Congress more powers.
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