1. What do you know?
1. Following Washington was a challenge for President Adams?
2. Adams hoped to improve relations with France by sending delegates to
France
3. Adams informed Congress about the XYZ affair.
4. Adams did not want to open peace talks with France.
5. Adams asked Congress to decrease the Navy & Army due to peace.
6. Adams pushed for war against France.
7. In the presidential election of 1796, political parties played a role for the
first time.
8. The XYZ affair almost led to war between France and the United States
9. The Democratic-Republican Party strongly supported the Alien &
Sedition Act.
10. The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions argued that the Alien & Sedition
Acts were constitutional.

2. John Adams Presidency
His Presidency, Political Parties, X, Y, Z Affair, Alien & Sedition Acts

3. The first political parties
Groups that help elect people and shape policies
Federalist party
Wanted strong Central Gov.
Supported industry and trade
Democratic – Republican Party
Wanted to limit Federal Gov.
Adams Defeated Jefferson for President

4. Political atmosphere Republicans called Adams a Royalist
Big slap in face for man who was so involved with the Am. Revolution
Federalists accused Republicans of favoring the French
Adams defeated Jefferson
Adams became President
Jefferson became Vice President
Each from a different political party

5. Adams As President Most saw Adams as Cold and a distant person
Served as a foreign diplomat
Leading patriot in Am. Rev.
He did lack Washington’s dignity
Most respected him for including his opponents
Hard work
Honesty
Intelligence

6. XYZ Affair In the middle of a dispute with France, Adams took office
French did not like Jays Treaty
They felt it was an attempt to help British in their war against France
Response by France:
French seized American ships with Cargo heading to Britain

7. XYZ Affair First goal= improve relationship with France
Adams sent three diplomats to France-French would not meet
Talleyrand (foreign minister) would not speak to am. Diplomats

8. More XYZ affair
Talleyrand set up a strange and secret visit from three French agents
Told that Talleyrand would only discuss a treaty if the following was met:
$250,000 bribe
A loan of 12 million dollars
Am diplomats refused the demands

9. Adams and Congress and the People
Adams Furious-prepare for war
Told Congress peace seeking mission had failed
X Y Z were letters substituted for French agents
Public outraged rallying cry was
Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!

10. Peace efforts Adams did not want to go to war-Most Federalists did
He stunned federalists (his party) by refusing to change his mind
Intense pressure
Am. And French ships fight in Caribbean
Rep. sent to France
Eventually peace treaty signed

11. Alien and Sedition Act Many Federalist sympathized with France
Angered Federalists called them Democrats, Mobocrats, and all other kinds of rats.
Federalist controlled Congress
Passed some laws known as the Alien and Sedition Acts.

12. More Alien and Sedition Act
Laws said to protect U. S. but intended to crush them opposition to war
Most controversial part was Sedition act
Forbade anyone form publishing or voicing criticism of the federal government
Cancelled protection of freedom of speech and freedom of the press
Jefferson & Madison viewed act as misuse of government power

13. Jefferson and Madison Attacked it at the state level
Wrote legislation called Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
Argues that Alien and sedition acts were unconstitutional
Fed. Gov. could not pass these act –interfered with state gov.
Pressured Congress to repeal didn’t happen
Allowed to expire within a few years
State resolution did not have force of national law but it did show that they can challenge Federal Gov.

14. Alien And Sedition Acts
Made it a crime to speak, write, or publish “false, scandalous, and malicious” criticisms of the Government
(2) Alien Act
Allowed President to imprison aliens and to send those he considered dangerous out of the country
(3) Naturalization Act
Required that aliens be residents for 14 years instead of 5 years before they became eligible for US citizenship
Why they were passed
Federalist controlled congress wanted to:
Strengthen Fed. Gov.
Silence Republicans
Results
Discouraged Immigration
Led some foreigners already here to leave
Convicted 10 republican newspaper editors who had criticized the federalists in Gov.
Reaction
Opposition to Federal ist party grows
Led movement to allow states to overturn federal law

15. The after affect
Hamilton and others rather than cheering because the treaty was made they opposed their own president.
As a result:
Federalist now split
Improved Democratic-Republicans chances of gaining the Presidency in 1800

16. Bumper Stickers Create two bumper stickers
Express one view of the Federalist Party, and one view of the Democratic-Republican Party on the National Bank.
Page 257 (under Political Parties Emerge). Points = 50 for each one.
Must be colored and neatly done expressing both sides views.

17. The parties in a nutshell
Federalists
Democratic-Republican
Led by Hamilton
Favored a strong central government
Believed Constitution gave implied powers
These powers not listed clearly in the Constitution
Believed these implied powers gave Congress power to do other things
Make all laws necessary and proper to carry out these implied powers
Led by Jefferson and Madison
Believed in strict reading of the Constitution
Rejected idea of implied powers
Believed that congressional powers were limited to what is absolutely necessary to carry out powers that are only found in the constitution.