Thomas Jefferson - Perhaps Jefferson's greatest accomplishment was the drafting of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, decades before he became president. Jefferson's greatest accomplishment as president was probably the acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase. It was controversial at the time, as it was unclear if Jefferson had the authority to buy the enormous tract of land from France. And, there was also a question of whether the land, much of it still unexplored, was worth the $15 million Jefferson paid. As the Louisiana Purchase doubled the territory of the United States, and has been viewed as a very shrewd move, Jefferson's role in the purchase is considered a great triumph. Jefferson, though he did not believe in a permanent military, dispatched the young U.S. Navy to fight the Barbary Pirates. And he had to contend with a number of problems related to Britain, which harassed American ships and engaged in the impressment of American sailors. His response to Britain, the Embargo Act of 1807, was generally thought to be a failure which only postponed the War of 1812. Supported by: Jefferson's political party was known as the Democratic-Republicans, and his supporters tended to believe in a limited federal government. Jefferson's political philosophy was influenced by the French Revolution. He preferred a small national government and a limited presidency.

Alexander Hamilton - Alexander Hamilton was one of the important pioneers in the early formation of the American government. He participated in Washington's Revolutionary War from 1777 to 1781. After the war, Hamilton co-wrote the famous 'Federalist' Papers with John Jay and James Madison, which served as a primary source for Constitutional interpretation. He was a member of the Continental Congress, an author of the Federalist Papers, a champion of the Constitution and the first secretary of the Treasury, where he helped found the first national bank, the U.S. Mint and a tax collection bureau that would later become the U.S. Coast Guard. As secretary of the treasury Hamilton’s great achievement was funding the federal debt at face value, which rectified and