Nicholas Trist on Madison and Hamilton, by Ari Sclar

"Madison said ‘I deserted Colonel Hamilton, or rather, Colonel Hamilton deserted me; in a word, the divergence between us took place – from his wishing to administration, or rather to administer the Government, into what he thought it ought to be; while, on my part, I endeavored to make it conform to the Constitution as understood by the Convention that produced and recommended it, and particularly by the States’ conventions that adopted it.’”

• Memorandum of Nicolas Trist

1. What “divergence” is Madison referring to and what precipitated (immediately led to) his “divergence”?

1. What impact did the “divergence” have on the American election system?