1. John Adams Presidency

2. Election of 1796 First post-Washington election John Adams (F) – 71 EV
Thomas Jefferson (D-R) – 68 EV
Thomas Pinckney (F) – 59 EV
Aaron Burr (D-R) – 30 EV
President = John Adams (F)
VP = Thomas Jefferson (D-R)

3. John Adams Born in Massachusetts Raised a “puritan-lite”
Became a lawyer
Second cousins to Samuel Adams
Joined patriot cause after Stamp Act
Popularized argument “no taxation without representation”
Birthplace of
John Adams
Young Adams

4. John Adams During Rev. War, served in Continental Congress
Served on “Committee of 5”
Looked to for advice on forming governments / writing constitutions

5. President, VP From Different Parties
Constitution
President to be person with most electoral votes
VP to be person with second most electoral votes
No concept of “ticket” or pres, VP running together
Founders did not anticipate rise of political parties
Became big problem in Adams’ Admin.
VP Jefferson
Pres. Adams

6. Adams in Europe 1777 – Adams sent to France as diplomat
Sent back to Europe to negotiate peace treaty,
Continued to serve as ambassador to Holland ( ), England ( )
Portrait of Treaty of Paris negotiators
(British refused to pose – portrait never
Finished)

7. President Adams: Foreign Policy
Continued neutrality
Adams wanted to stay out of war between Britain, France
Problem: Jay’s Treaty angered French, so they began attacking American shipping
Adams sent diplomats to negotiate with French (Pinckney, Gerry, Marshall)
French (in distance) bearing down
on damaged American ship

8. John Adams: XYZ Affair
Three French agents demanded $250k bribe, $12 million loan to help French fight wars and public apology just to let Americans see French foreign minister
Americans went home, instead
Americans (at left) facing French
revolutionary demands, in US
newspaper cartoon

9. John Adams: XYZ Affair
Jefferson demanded to see reports from diplomats (Why?)
Released to public, changing French agents’ names to X, Y and Z
Huge public outcry: “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!”
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Token handed out during XYZ Affair

10. John Adams: “Quasi-War”
Quasi-War: No declaration, but French, American warships attacked each other and merchant ships
American negotiators offered French same terms as Jays Treaty, but French refused
1800: Adams renegotiated treaty
US drops claim for damaged merchant ships
France released US from alliance of 1778
Weakened US affection for French
USS Constellation – active during
Quasi War

11. John Adams: Domestic Affairs
Alien-Sedition Acts (1798)
Alien Friends Act
Authorized the president to deport any resident alien considered "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States.”
Aimed at French sympathizers
Alien Enemies Act (still in effect)
authorized the president to apprehend and deport resident aliens if their home countries were at war with the United States
Naturalization Act
Extended the duration of residence required for aliens to become citizens to 14 years
Sedition Act
made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or its officials
Fight in Congress during debate
over Sedition Act, 1798

12. John Adams: Domestic Affairs
Reaction to Sedition Act
Jefferson: Unconstitutional!!
First Amendment
Tenth Amendment
No Judicial Review yet (M v M in 1803) – thus, exercise of “undelegated powers” by Feds
Jefferson & Madison introduce KY and VA Resolutions
Called on states to nullify laws
Compact theory: US made up of voluntary union of states giving some power to central gov’t; but states do not give away their sovereignty
If state’s sovereignty violated, then state had right to nullify Federal act or secede from union
“Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the
Press . . .”
“The powers not delegated to
the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by
it to the States, are reserved to
the States respectively, or to
the people.”

13. John Adams: Domestic Affairs
Alien-Sedition Acts in Action
No aliens deported (many fled)
25 people, mainly D-R newspaper editors, arrested under Sedition Act (incl. 1 congressman!)
11 tried, 10 convicted
Led to end of Federalist Party
Federalists tossed out of office
After his election, President Jefferson pardoned all those convicted under Sedition Act
The power of the press . . .