It's clear from the writing that the author prefers Federalism with a president who is strong rather than a president who merely is the figurehead for Congress, but he allows no middle ground. Instead of providing the contrast between a very 'libertarian' type view of government as espoused by Jefferson and a more centrist view of Federalism by Washington, the author ascribes to Jefferson an almost pathologically anarchistic position. However, the author is also clearly vitriolic regarding Jefferson.

The author provides a LOT of historical information regarding both Washington and Jefferson that aren't generally provided in even a college level American history class. What did you like best about The Great Divide? What did you like least? I enjoyed reading the book and dissecting Fleming’s views but I wonder if Jefferson was quite as scatter-brained as Fleming paints him. The book is well written, lightly documented but with the clean, snappy prose that Fleming is noted for. Fleming paints Washington as the practical farmer and dynamic leader and Jefferson as the dreaming idealist who failed to lead and left the country at the end of his tenure as president, in debt, without income, without an army, and on the verge of war with Britain over a trade embargo. On the other hand, Jefferson preferred a confederation of states instead of a national government.

Therefore he preferred a strong federal government that could provide a strong military defense for the country and a strong financial foundation for the country. Fleming states Washington beliefs came out of the problems he had as head of the Army, the problems of funding the Army and the country at the time. The basic debate between Washington and Jefferson is still an ongoing debate today on the role of government. I have always enjoyed Fleming’s passion for history. I have even had correspondence with him regarding one of his books in the past. In the past I have read a number of his books both non-fiction and fiction. Thomas Fleming is an author I have not read in the past five plus years.

The Great Divide by Thomas Fleming