Tlre Election of 17q6
* the Federalists supported John Adams while the Republicans supported Thomas
Jefferson; Hamilton maneuvered to get Pinckney as the Federalist Vice President
so he could get support from both sides and become President (Hamilton did not
support Adams); Adams won the election but Jefferson was elected Vice President
* Hamilton wrote Washingt on's Farewell Addre,ss warning against both political
parties and foreign political entanglements
The Adams Administration
* Adams tried to reach out to Jefferson and the Republicans
* Adams inherited Washinglon's cabinet (who were all Hamilton supporters)
* Adams spent much of his presidency at his home in Quincy, Massachuseffs
Foreign AlTairs
* relations with France worsened as France seized American ships; Adams sent a
mission to France to negotiate, which resulted in the XYZ Affair; Americans felt
insulted and moved closer to war with France; an undeclared naval war between
the U.S. and France ensued; Adams created the Department of the Navy and
ordered a build-up of the navy; Federalists pushed for the creation of a larger
anny as well; the Federalists demanded war but France began backing down;
Adams decided to reopen negotiations (against Federalist wishes) and an
agreement was signed averting war; Hamilton supporters turned completely
against Adams
Domestic Affairs
* Adams, like WashinSon, was against political parties and refused to act as the
head ofone
* in 1798 the Federalists passed (and Adams signed) the Alien and Sedition Acts,
mostly to suppress political dissent; 3 Alien laws were passed aimed at immigrants
(who were s*pected by Federalists of being Republican supporters); the Sedition
law provided for frnes and imprisonment for any person who opposed the
government or criticized the President; the laws were set to expire in 1801 when
Adams term in office ended; the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Alien and
Sedition Acts; in response Jefferson and Madison wrote the Virginia and Kentucky
Resolutions which declared the laws to be null and void and stated that
nullification by the states was a proper remedy for unconstitutional actions of the
federal government
* the U.S. Supreme Court in several rulings seemed to challenge state sovereignty;
in response the I lth Amendment was passed to limit Supreme Court jurisdiction
over lawsuits brought against states