1. Adam’s Presidency

2. The Election of 1796 The Federalists chose Vice President John Adams as their candidate for president and Charles Pinckney for vice president. The Republicans chose Thomas Jefferson as their candidate for president and Aaron Burr for vice president.

3. The Election of 1796 Adams was elected president with 71 electoral votes. At that time the person with the second most electoral votes became the vice president, Jefferson received 68 and became Adams vice president. This meant the president was from one party and the vice president from another party. (This was not good.)

4. The XYZ Affair Adams sent a delegation to Paris to resolve the dispute. Three French agents tried to bribe the U.S. delegates for a peace agreement. Adams was furious. Referring to the French agents as X, Y, and Z, Adams urged Congress to prepare for war. The French felt Jay’s Treaty with the British was a threat to France.

5. Undeclared War with France Congress strengthened the Army and created a Navy. Washington led the Army. U.S. and French ships fought several times. After two years, peace was finally made between France and the U.S.

6. Alien and Sedition Acts The threat of war made Americans more suspicious of aliens in the U.S. In 1798, the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed to protect the nations security.

7. Alien and Sedition Acts Three Parts: The Naturalization Act Required that aliens be residents for 14 years instead of 5 years before they became eligible for citizenship The Alien Acts A series of laws that allowed the president to imprison aliens or send them out of the country if he considered them a threat The Sedition Acts Made it a crime to speak, write, or publish “false, scandalous, and malicious” criticisms of the government

8. Why they were passed The federalist-controlled Congress wanted to:  strengthen the federal government  silence Republican Opposition Results Discouraged immigration and led to some foreigners already in the country to leave.  Convicted 10 Republican newspaper editors who had criticized the Federalist government. Reaction  Opposition to the Federalists party began to grow.  Led to movement to allow states to nullify (overturn) federal laws Alien and Sedition Acts

9. The Federalist Party Divided The Federalists Party was divided on the issue of war. While they were arguing, Adams lost re-election to Jefferson. The Federalist’s also lost the majority in Congress. After the election of 1800, the Democratic- Republicans will take control for the 1 st time.