1. Chapter 9
Section 4

2. John Adams 2nd President Federalist
Signs the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts

3. The U.S & France
One of Adams first goals as president was to improve relations with France.
Who remembers what happened with France during Washington’s presidency?

4. The XYZ Affair
Adams sent a team to Paris to smooth over the conflict and to negotiate a treaty.
When the diplomats arrived in France, they learned that French foreign minister Talleyrand would not speak to them.
Instead, they had visit from three French agents. The agents said that Talleyrand would discuss a treaty only in exchange for a 250,000 bribe.
The French government also wanted a loan for $12 million.

5. The XYZ Affair The amazed diplomats refused this deal.
Adams told congress of that the peace- seeking mission had failed.
He described the French terms, substituting the letters X, Y, and Z for the names of the French agents.
Upon hearing the news the Federalist in Congress called for war with France!

6. The XYZ Affair
The XYZ affair outraged the American public, they chanted “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute”

7. Preparing for War
Although Adams asked Congress for military support, he did not want to go to war with France.
Adams decision not to declare war stunned Federalist.
Despite intense pressure from members in his own party, Adams refused to change his mind.

8. The Alien and Sedition Acts
Federalist controlled congress passed four laws known together as the Alien and Sedition Acts.
Americans became more suspicious of aliens—residents who are not citizens. Many Europeans who had come to the United States in the 1790s supported the ideals of the French Revolution. Some Americans questioned whether these aliens would remain loyal if the United States went to war with France.

9. The Alien and Sedition Acts
The most controversial was the Sedition Act, which forbade anyone from publishing or voicing criticism of the federal government.
In effect, this cancelled basic protections of freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
Democratic Republican leader Jefferson and Madison urged congress to repeal these acts.
The made a serious of documents known as the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which stated that the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional.
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10. Congress did not repeal the acts, however allowed them to expire within a few years.

11. Summary
Conflict between the two political parties was particularly bitter during the presidency of Washington’s successor, John Adams ( ). A Federalist majority in Congress enacted two laws whose chief purpose was to intimidate the supporters of the Democratic-Republicans. The Alien Act authorized the president to deport foreigners residing in the United States who were thought to be dangerous to the public safety. The Sedition Act authorized the government to fine and imprison newspaper editors who printed any ‘scandalous and malicious writing’ about the government.
The state legislatures of Virginia and Kentucky passed resolutions that protested these acts and claimed the right to nullify (disregard) them as unconstitutional. These resolutions expressed the views of Thomas Jefferson, who argued that the Alien and Sedition Acts violated citizens’ basic rights.