Professor in Collier: Long before Trump vs. Clinton, there was drama: Hamilton, Jefferson
After dozens of political TV ads, rallies and heated presidential debates, it's safe to say the rivalry between candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump took center stage in 2016.
However, this isn't the first political rivalry in this country's history, said Louis Masur, a professor of American studies and history at Rutgers University,
Masur took his East Naples audience Friday back to the 18th century, when another rivalry was born:
Alexander Hamilton vs. Thomas Jefferson.
"How many of you would classify yourself as Hamiltonians?" Masur asked during “Hamilton vs. Jefferson: The Rivalry that Shaped America.”
He presented his lecture in a crowded room at the New Hope Events Center. The lecture was part of One Day University, a program that offers university lectures to the public, sponsored by the Naples Daily News.
Some audience members raised their hands.
"How many would classify as Jeffersonians?"
Some hands shot up.
"And how many don't know?"
Several hands raised hesitantly.
The goals of the lecture, Masur said, were to teach people the differences between Hamilton and Jefferson and how their rivalry shaped America.
Masur rapped his introduction about the two Founding Fathers — an ode to "Hamilton," Broadway's hit musical based on the life of Hamilton — before getting into the nitty-gritty world of politics in the late 18th century.
Jefferson and Hamilton were different in many ways, including age, personality and opinions about the future of the nation.
"Hamilton was 5-7, he was a dandy, loved to dress well," Masur said. "There's important physical differences between the two. Jefferson was 6-3, with sandy hair.
"Hamilton was verbal, and Jefferson tended not to speak ... but he could write."
They were also about 12 years apart in age (Jefferson was older).
Jefferson favored a decentralized government and became part of the Democratic-Republican Party that formed in opposition to the Federalist Party, pushing a strong federal government. Hamilton helped lead the latter.
Clinton and Trump are just as different.
"We're talking today a few days before the election, and a lot will depend on what takes place, but those dynamics have always existed in American history. Think about Bush versus Gore. ... There has been dominant, vehement political battles," Masur said after finishing his lecture.
Judy Lindstrom of Naples said she attended the lecture to learn how the historic rivalry is relevant to modern politics.
"I just think I needed a break from the current politics that I've seen on TV and go back in time and see how it was handled before to see what they brought to the table, compared to what they're bringing to the table now," she said.
Winnie English of Naples said neither of today's candidates compare to Hamilton or Jefferson.
"I think their rivalry was on a higher platform than today's. (The rivalry) was between two intelligent people," English said.
Billie Kussro, 81, of Estero was more interested in the history.
"I had been in Williamsburg (Virginia) and saw people dressed in character as (Hamilton and Jefferson) and pretending to debate, and I thought I'd like to learn about their relationship more," she said.
Despite what happens on Election Day, "One way or another America comes out of it, and hopefully is the better for it," Masur said.
What: lectures from professors about art, history and music
Sponsors: One Day University and the Naples Daily News
Who: Anna Celenza, professor of music at Georgetown University; Robert Watson, professor of American studies at Lynn University; and Shelley Carson, an associate in the psychology department and a lecturer at Harvard University
Where: New Hope Events Center, 7675 Davis Blvd., East Naples