Online Lecture: Founding Fathers — The Rivalry That Shaped America

Alexander Hamilton is experiencing a well-deserved revival. Often forced to take a back seat to other Founding Fathers, his vision of America as an economic powerhouse with an energetic government as its engine has found many followers. An orphan born in the West Indies, Hamilton was like a son to George Washington and perhaps should have been like a brother to Thomas Jefferson. But Jefferson fought bitterly against the Federalists, and his election as president ushered in the “Revolution of 1800.” The battle between Hamilton and Jefferson became personal and their rivalry is a reminder of how partisanship was baked into the nation’s early history and shaped debates that continue today. Join Louis Masur, author and professor, for the third in a series of three lectures on our Founding Fathers. In this final lecture, you’ll learn about the bitter rivalry between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.