1. The Presidency of John Adams 5/10/2019 7:58 AM 1
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2. Presidential Candidate
Election of 1796
First election with political parties
Federalists: John Adams
Democratic-Republicans: Thomas Jefferson
Adams wins Presidency & Jefferson becomes V.P
Political rivals
Presidential Candidate
Party
Popular Vote
Electoral Vote
Count
Percentage
John Adams
Federalist
35,726
53.4% 71
Thomas Jefferson
Democratic-Republican
31,115
46.6% 68
Thomas Pinckney — 59
Aaron Burr 30
Samuel Adams 15

3. France Threatens Neutrality
Relations with France are still tense
France began seizing U.S. ships to prevent trade with Britain
Federalists call for war with France
Adams hopes talks would restore peace

4. XYZ Affair Adams sent 3 men to meet with the French foreign minister
3 French agents agreed to talk to U.S. for a $10 million loan to France & $250,000 to the minister
Agents known as X, Y, & Z
Congress & the public were outraged
Cancelled all treaties with France & allowed for seizure of French ships

5. Alien & Sedition Acts
The French conflict made Adams & the Federalists popular with the people
Republicans were sympathetic to France
Adams was blasted in periodicals, calling him the “tyrant of America”
To silence critics Adams passed laws aimed at aliens
Act increased the wait time to become a citizen from 5 to 14 years
Act gave him power to arrest disloyal aliens & deport them
Act outlawed publishing false statements about the gov’t
After this video play the Alien and Sedition Act video; first clip is Adams discussing them with his cabinet, second is Abigail reading the slanders in the newspaper, third is Jefferson telling Adams the states reactions to the acts, there is a fourth clip of Adams signing it but if you want to save time you can stop it prior to.

7. Response of Democratic-Republicans’
Jefferson & Madison led the fight against the laws
Used the theory of states’ rights
States had rights the federal gov’t could not violate
Virginia & Kentucky proposed resolutions to nullify (cancel) the laws in their states
Nullification was not widely supported
Acts were repealed when the Republicans controlled Congress between 1800 & 1802

8. Peace with France War fever in America was high
Adams reopened peace talks with France
Both sides signed the Convention of stop all naval attacks
Reopen the oceans for shipping & trading
Adams became enemies with many Federalists
Review Clip:

9. Election of 1800 Federalists: John Adams
Democratic-Republicans: Thomas Jefferson
No majority won
Election was decided by the House of Representatives
Jefferson won the election & Aaron Burr became his V.P.