Jefferson & Hamilton: The Rivalry that Forged a Nation

Jefferson and Hamilton is the story of the fierce struggle—both public and, ultimately, bitterly personal—between two titans. Both men were visionaries, but their visions of what the United States should be were diametrically opposed. Jefferson believed passionately in individual liberty and a more egalitarian society, with a weak central government and greater powers for the states. Hamilton sought to build a powerful national government that could ensure the young nation’s security and drive it toward economic greatness.

John Ferling, a leading authority on late 18th and early 19th-century American history, is the author of many books, including Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War for Independence, Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, Setting the World Ablaze: Washington, Adams, and Jefferson in the American Revolution, and the award-winning A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic.