Comparing Alexander Hamilton, J. K., And Robert Yates

New York Delegates
The New York delegation constituted of 3 individuals: Alexander Hamilton, John Lansing Jr., and Robert Yates, all of whom had differing ideas as to how the government must operate in regard to the people. Their differing opinions caused the partnership to rift, ultimately leaving Hamilton to represent the state at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. While Lansing and Yates had an anti-federalist point of view, Hamilton stood up for federalist morals. Although their ideas clashed at the time, many of those ideas have been used and transformed into pillars of the American Government, such as the Bill of Rights and Hamilton’s Plan. Regardless of their clashing ideologies, our modern day government was far more anticipated and

planned for, from the Bill of Rights to political norms.
As the backbone of the New York delegation, Alexander Hamilton contributed significantly to the foundation of the Constitution. His ideals were influenced by his experience working with a trading charter and handling his family’s finances all at a very young age. While dealing with internal conflict involving his partners, Yates and Lansing, Hamilton wrote the Federalist Papers along with other delegates to express common ideas and to promote the ratification of the Constitution. As a Federalist he believed in the separation of powers, consent of the governed, and popular sovereignty. He pursued higher education at King’s College and is known for establishing the National Bank, the Federalist Party, and the United States Coast Guard. He was also the first Secretary of the Treasury and George Washington’s right-hand man.
John Lansing Jr. was the second New York delegate in the Constitutional Convention. He was one of the anti-federalist delegates of New York and one of the 16 non signing delegates to the Constitution. Before he was appointed to be a delegate for the Constitutional Convention, Lancing had a successful law practice which had made him quite wealthy. He also served as served as a military secretary and was elected into the New York Assembly. Lancing was appointed to the Constitutional Convention by George Clinton, the New York Governor at the time, due to his anti-federalist views. However Lancing felt he was blindsided when he arrived at the Convention because he had initially believed that they were going to be amending the Articles of Confederation.
Robert Yates, was the third New York delegate in the Constitutional Convention and like Lansing, was an antifederalist and one of the non-signing delegates for the Constitution.

Yates was also appointed by George Clinton. Before Yates was appointed to the Constitutional Convention, worked as a surveyor and lawyer. During that time he counted himself as a Radical Whigs, who promoted against corruption and emphasized the protection of liberty, which appealed to many in the colonies. During the Revolution, Yates also served on the Albany committee of safety and represented his country in four provincial congresses. Yates also sat on various committees, including the one that drafted the first constitution for New York State. Like Lansing, Yates was vocal about his dissatisfaction about the drafting about the Constitution. His dissatisfaction was documented in the Anti-Federalist Papers under the name Brutus. Both Lancing and Yates did not agree with the ratification of the Constitution due the the wording and lack of Bill of Rights, ultimately leading to their resignation with a joint letter to George

Clinton.
Hamilton’s tolerance toward religion was driven by the economic gains he theorized would followed an open religion-free market.

The idea was that it would lure manufacturers and consumers into the country, increasing trade and profit. Although his religious affiliations were unclear and unattached to any specific religion, he said that, “Unreasonable religion was dangerous, and reason unmarked by religious morality was anarchic”. This means that although his religious opinions differed, he was open to engaging with others who were guided by their beliefs. As mentioned earlier, Hamilton co-authored the Federalist Papers, in which he promoted his beliefs and the ratification of the Constitution. He believed greatly in the establishment of a national bank and the separation of powers, as suggested by the line, “Congress [should] do nothing more than recommended”. He argued that Congress alone must have the power to declare war, create an army, coin and distribute money, make alliances, and appoint leaders. This supports his Federalist views as the centralization of these powers would increase nationalism within the states and a greater sense of unity. Justification for this lies in the quote, “It is that the common sovereign will not have the power sufficient to unite the different members together, and direct the common forces to the interest and happiness of the whole.” Hamilton believed that the people needed a strong central government to guide their needs and freedoms

which maintaining order in society. His experience with the trading charter and handling finances also influenced his idea to centralize the national debt. He believed that the most efficient way to decrease debt was to remove the burden from the states, in order to create peace and cooperation. As a man who initially praised the British monarchical system, he began to emphasize the importance of the consent of the governed, which he argued in later debates to include in the Constitution. This admiration for the British system led to his well known plan of government called Hamilton's Plan.
Hamilton’s views on civil rights, unlike those regarding the government in various policies, were unclear. Although he bought, owned, and sold slaves, he has been recorded as an Abolitionist who strongly supported the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He promoted the Three Fourths Compromise and believed that slaves deserved to be identified as people. He theorized that protecting the rights of the people directly stabilizes the government and the citizen’s compliance to abide by it. This has proven to be true as all throughout history, the countries, kingdoms, and dynasties who has the greatest internal turmoil, faced the greatest difficulties in their governing systems. Hamilton said that, “the fundamental source of all your errors, sophisms, and false reasonings, is a total ignorance of the natural rights of mankind… You would be convinced, that natural liberty is a gift of the beneficent Creator, to the whole human race; and that civil liberty is founded in that; and cannot be wrested from any people, without the most manifest violation of justice…[Civil liberty] is necessary to the wellbeing of society.” These ideals made him very favorable among the people of the United States, as they prioritized them and recognized that they give power to the government.
Hamilton would agree with the current application of the National Bank, our implementation of a strong federal government, and separation of powers. These are all necessities he pushed for at the Constitutional Conventions and we have incorporated these aspects into the modern day government, with only minimal religious involvement. He would not, however, agree with the implementation of an immigration ban, as he has emphasized equal rights for all citizens, as well as religious tolerance in order to build a prospering economy.
In the era of promoting freedom, there has been great debate in the ideas of equal rights for all.