1. SECTION FOUR – JOHN ADAM’S PRESIDENCY THE ELECTION of 1796 ● Washington called it quits and retired to Mt. Vernon, Virginia ● 1796 started a new era in American politics ● More than one candidate ran for president ● Political parties began despite Washington’s warnings ● Political parties are groups that help elect people and shape politics ■ Federalist Party ■ Democratic-Republican Party

2. Federalist Party ● Founded by Alexander Hamilton ● Wanted a strong federal government ● Supported industry and trade ● Chose John Adams and Thomas Pinckney as their main candidates ● Supported by business people from cities (urban) Democratic –Republican ● Founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison ● Wanted to limit federal the federal governments power (state power) ● Supported agriculture or farming ● Chose Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr as their main candidates ● Supported by farmers from more isolated areas (rural)

3. THE ELECTION of 1796 ● Tennessee was now a state and there were 138 total electoral votes ● That meant you needed 70 to become president ● Pinckney finished third with 59 votes and Burr was fourth with 30 votes-all other candidates received 48 total ● Jefferson became the vice president even though he was from a different party-finished 2 nd ● I wonder how this will work out ● Jefferson was following a legend

4. A NEW PRESIDENT ● Adams was a leading Patriot from the Revolutionary Period, was a foreign diplomat, and was a two-term vice president ● Was viewed as a cold, distant person and lacked Washington’s dignity ● He was respected because of his honesty, intelligence and hard work ● He will be tested multiple times while serving as President

5. ● Adams wanted to improve America’s relationship with France ● Washington and France had a problem over privateers ● Adams sent diplomats in July, 1797 to France to negotiate a treaty to protect our U.S. shipping and make sure relations were good ● The diplomats were Charles Pinckney, John Marshall, and Elbridge Gerry ● They tried to meet with the French minister of foreign affairs (Marquis de Talleyrand) and were ignored.

6. ● Three French agents called X, Y, and Z (not real names) told the American diplomats if they loaned France 12 million dollars and pay a 250,000 dollar bribe, the minister would meet with them ● Our diplomats were insulted and refused the demands ● Charles Pinckney and John Marshall left for America and Elbridge Gerry stayed to try and keep negotiating ● President Adams told Congress in March 1798 that a peace-keeping mission had failed.

7. ● Congress was very upset by this, especially the Federalists ● Federalists called for war with France ● This became known as the XYZ Affair ● “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!” became a rallying call for Americans PREPARATIONS FOR WAR ● On April 30, 1798, President John Adams signed a congressional act establishing the Department of the Navy and to build 30 new ships. ● By the end of 1798, the navy owned 14 completed vessels and had more under construction.

8. ● Adams also got permission from Congress to begin a peacetime army ● Adams DID NOT want Congress to declare war even though he had built up the military ● He knew we didn’t have the money to fight the war PEACE EFFORTS ● He tried to re-open negotiations for peace with France ● His party wanted him to declare war, but he refused ● America and France entered into what is known as the Quasi-War from July 7, 1798 until September 30, 1800 when they signed the Treaty of Mortefontaine The USS Constellation was the US Navy’s first commissioned ship in 1797. The Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought entirely at sea

9. ● Democratic-Republicans still supported France in many cases. ● The Alien and Sedition Acts were actually four separate laws and were passed by a Federalist Congress and signed by President Adams in 1798 ● The Federalists believed that Democratic-Republican criticism of Federalist policies was disloyal and feared that aliens living in the United States would sympathize with the French during a war ● These laws were designed to silence and weaken the Democratic-Republican Party.

10. ● Madison and Jefferson the leading Democratic-Republicans thought these acts were a misuse of government power. ● They wrote the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions that passed their states in 1798 and 1799. ● The resolutions argued that the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional ● They believed that states had the right and duty to declare unconstitutional any acts of Congress that were not authorized by the Constitution ● They argued for states' rights and strict constructionism of the Constitution ● Congress never enacted these, but they symbolized that states could challenge federal law