Greatest_Man

Copilot:

 USA; There is a famous anecdote about a diner conversation between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Can you recount it to me?

🍽️ Absolutely! You're referring to the legendary "Dinner Table Bargain" of 1790—a pivotal moment in early U.S. history that unfolded over a private meal hosted by Thomas Jefferson in New York City.

🗓️ The Context

At the time, two major issues were paralyzing Congress:

Assumption of state debts: Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton wanted the federal government to take on states’ Revolutionary War debts to strengthen national credit.

Location of the national capital: Southern leaders like James Madison and Jefferson wanted it placed along the Potomac River, not in northern cities like New York or Philadelphia.

🍷 The Dinner

On June 20, 1790, Jefferson invited Hamilton and Madison to his home for dinner. According to Jefferson’s later account, Hamilton arrived looking “haggard and dejected.” He feared his financial plan would fail, threatening the young republic’s stability.

Over wine and food, the three men struck a deal:

Madison would ease his opposition to Hamilton’s debt plan, helping it pass in Congress.

In return, Hamilton would use his influence to secure votes for placing the capital on the Potomac.

🤝 The Aftermath

Congress passed the Assumption Bill, centralizing financial power.

The Residence Act established the future capital—Washington, D.C.—on the Potomac River.

Jefferson later regretted the deal, feeling Hamilton had outmaneuvered him.

This dinner wasn’t just a meal—it was a masterclass in political negotiation that shaped the trajectory of the United States. Want to dig into how this moment is portrayed in pop culture or explore Jefferson’s hosting style? I’ve got some juicy details.

Is there a passage about 'Who is the greatest man who has ever lived?'

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I meant in a conversation between Hamilton and Jefferson...

Ah, got it! You're referring to a specific moment recounted by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Benjamin Rush dated January 16, 1811, where Jefferson describes a dinner conversation with Alexander Hamilton and John Adams.

🍷 The Scene: After settling a political matter during a dinner at Jefferson’s residence, the conversation turned philosophical. The room was adorned with portraits of Francis Bacon, Isaac Newton, and John Locke—Jefferson’s personal “trinity” of the greatest minds in history.

🔍 The Exchange:

Jefferson pointed to the portraits and said they were “the three greatest men the world had ever produced.”

Hamilton paused and replied: “The greatest man that ever lived was Julius Caesar.”

This moment revealed a stark contrast in their worldviews:

Jefferson admired thinkers and philosophers who advanced knowledge and liberty.

Hamilton revered Caesar—a symbol of power, conquest, and centralized authority.

🧠 Jefferson later reflected that Hamilton believed in governing through force or corruption, while Adams was honest both as a man and a politician. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the ideological divide that shaped early American politics.

Would you like to explore how this philosophical rift influenced their policies or how it’s portrayed in modern media?

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It's a bit confusing, but the current Democratic Party was built from the Democratic-Republican

Party of Thomas Jefferson and known at its time as the Republican Party. The current Republican

Party was later founded to emancipate the slaves.

The only Founding Father who was not a slave owner was John Adams(1735-1826).

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My arms are not very strong, and this exercise sequence seems just about right for me:

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