History tends to cast the early years of America in a glow of
camaraderie when there were, in fact, many conflicts between the
Founding Fathers--none more important than the one between George
Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Their disagreement centered on the
highest, most original public office created by the Constitutional
Convention: the presidency. It also involved the nation's foreign
policy, the role of merchants and farmers in a republic, and the
durability of the union. At its root were two sharply different visions
of the nation's future.
Acclaimed historian Thomas Fleming examines how the differing characters
and leadership styles of Washington and Jefferson shaped two opposing
views of the presidency--and the nation. This clash profoundly
influenced the next two centuries of America's history and persists in
the present day.