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edits
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→Most conservative?: new section
I think "a" leading intellectual rather than "the" leading intellectual understates Hamilton's role a bit. The other examples were not really his equal as an intellectual.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 22:43, 7 September 2008 (EDT)
I think "a" leading intellectual rather than "the" leading intellectual understates Hamilton's role a bit. The other examples were not really his equal as an intellectual.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 22:43, 7 September 2008 (EDT)
::well it depends what you mean by an "intellectual" rather little of Hamilton's career was spent as a writer (1788 on Fed Papers and 1792 on three big reports is about it, along with a couple essays in 1775.) I think John Adams was more widely read, for example, and Franklin was a world-famous scientist. Noah Webster likewise was a major intellectual. [[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 23:35, 7 September 2008 (EDT)
::well it depends what you mean by an "intellectual" rather little of Hamilton's career was spent as a writer (1788 on Fed Papers and 1792 on three big reports is about it, along with a couple essays in 1775.) I think John Adams was more widely read, for example, and Franklin was a world-famous scientist. Noah Webster likewise was a major intellectual. [[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 23:35, 7 September 2008 (EDT)
== Most conservative? ==
Alexander Hamilton can hardly be described as one of the most conservative founding father. He believed in keeping a permenant debt to keep the nation together. He believed the consitution should be interperated loosely not literally. Jefferson was a stickler for a literal interperation of the constiution. He was believed in a strong centralized goverment.
His party, the federalists, were not a grass roots party. They alienated the all but the elite. The Democratic-Republicans or just Republicans were a much more appealing party to the common man.
In some issues yes he had conservative views, and in some cases he had liberal views. But to call him the most conservative of the founding fathers is just inncorrect and ignorant.
He was not conservative or liberal. He was a federalist. The conservatives of the time were tories or loyalists and left when the United States gained their independence. The federalist had some liberal view and some conservative views to call the one is just incorrect or dilberitly confusing the facts.