John Adams’s Presidency (Begin your notes here)
Federalists
Democratic-Republicans
Strong National Government
Limited National Government
Loose Interpretation of
Constitution
Strict Interpretation of
Constitution
Favored the National Bank
Opposed the National Bank
Economy based on industry
Economy based on agriculture
Wanted good relations with
Britain
Wanted good relations with
France
The Election of 1796 John Adams, a Federalist, received 71 votes from Electoral College. Jefferson, a Democratic-­‐Republican received 68 votes. Adams became president and Jefferson became vice-­‐president. Elections Before Political Parties The Founding Fathers did not anticipate the rise of political parties, so the president and vice president did not run together like they do in elections today. Foreign Policy: The XYZ Affair When France went to war with Great Britain in 1794, the French expected help from the United States. Washington disappointed and angered them by declaring neutrality. “U.S. is neutral.” “Wait… what? Foreign Policy: The XYZ Affair France began raiding U.S. cargo ships to prevent the U.S. from trading with the British. Adams sent three Americans to ease relations by requesting a meeting with the French foreign minister. Foreign Policy: The XYZ Affair The French government was ruled by the Directory, a five-­‐ member council. Instead of meeting with them, three French agents called X, Y, and Z demanded a bribe of $250,000 to the minister and a loan payment of 10 million dollars to the French government before negotiations could begin. Foreign Policy: The XYZ Affair The Americans refused. Congress cancelled its treaties with France, and authorized attacks on French ships. Congress also set aside money to expand the army and navy. Domestic Policy: The Alien & Sedition Acts Americans grew angry at foreign attempts to influence their government. They questioned whether immigrants who supported the French Revolution would remain loyal if the U.S. went to war with France. Domestic Policy: The Alien & Sedition Acts Many Democratic-­‐Republicans criticized Adams’s treatment of France. They printed criticism of Adams and the Federalists. To silence these critics, Adams passed the Alien and Sedition Acts, which targeted immigrants. Ultimately, these acts were passed by Federalists who controlled Congress and wanted to silence Republican opposition. Domestic Policy: The Alien & Sedition Acts 1. The Naturalization Act increased the waiting period for becoming a U.S. citizen from 5 to 14 years. Domestic Policy: The Alien & Sedition Acts 2. The Alien Acts allowed the president to imprison aliens, residents who are not citizens, and to send those he considered dangerous out of the United States. Domestic Policy: The Alien & Sedition Acts 3. The Sedition Act made it a crime to speak, write, or publish anything false or harmful about the government. The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions Democratic-­‐Republicans responded to these acts with the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798. They claimed the Alien and Sedition Acts violated the Constitution and encouraged states to assert their rights. The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions They favored states’ rights and said the states could nullify, or overturn, federal laws they thought were unconstitutional. These two resolutions declared the Alien and Sedition Acts void in their states. Adams is voted out of office Writing Prompt Spend a few minutes answering the primary source writing prompt about the Alien and Sedition Acts. Be prepared to discuss.