Alexander Hamilton, I believe, is the main reason we are in the situation we are today. He was for big central government and no individual rights. It basically started with Alexander Hamilton and the Whiskey Rebellion. He talked Geo Washington to muster fed troops and put down a legal rebellion.
Aaron Burr did is a favor, although not soon enough.
Hamilton was being cute -- "don't tax you, don't tax me, we'll tax those poor b*stards out there on the other side of the divide who don't have good representation in Congress and spend the money on deserving bankers in New York."