1. John Adam’s presidency
Chapter 6, section 4. Pages

2. The election of 1796
The election was different: more than one candidate ran for president.
Political parties began to form.
A political party is a group that helps elect people and shape policies.
Despite Washington’s warning, rivalries between parties dominated the election.

3. The federalist party Founded by Alexander Hamilton
Stood for a strong central government
Supported industry and trade.
Chose John Adams and Thomas Pinckney as candidates.
Adams was not liked in the South or West

4. The democratic-republican party
Founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
Wanted to limit the federal government’s power.
Chose Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr as candidates.

5. The outcome of the election
Businesspeople in the cities tended to favor the Federalists.
Farmers tended to favor the Democratic-Republicans.
Adams defeated Jefferson.
Jefferson became vice-president.

6. the new president Many people saw Adams as a cold and distant person.
He didn’t appear to be suited to the presidency.
Despite this, most people, even his opponents, respected him.

7. Fixing problems with the French
Adams wanted to improve relations with the French.
The French were upset at the lack of assistance from the U.S. during their revolution.
Diplomats were sent to France negotiate a treaty.

8. The xyz affair
When the diplomats arrived in France, they were told by French agents that the government would discuss the treaty ONLY after being paid $250,000.
The U.S. diplomats refused.
Adams described the failed treaty by substituting the names of the French agents with the letter X, Y, and Z.

9. The XYZ affair The XYZ affair outraged Americans.
Fearing a war, Adams asks to expand the Navy and establish a peacetime army.
Adams did not want to go to war even though many Federalists wanted to.
Instead, he tried to reopen peace talks with France.

10. Tensions continue to rise…
French ships begin to attack American ships in the Caribbean.
Adams still refuses to go to war despite pressure from members of his cabinet
The U.S. and France eventually sign a peace treaty.
Adams forces two members of his cabinet to resign for blocking peace efforts.

11. The Alien and sedition acts
Democratic-Republicans continue to side with the French, gaining much criticism from the Federalists.
Federalists called them “democrats, mobocrats and all other kinds of rats.”
Congress passes the Alien and Sedition acts. They were meant to “protect” the U.S. but were really intended to crush opposition to the government.

12. The sedition act The sedition act was more controversial.
It forbid anyone from publishing or voicing criticism of the government.
It effectively cancelled freedom of the press and freedom of speech.

13. Jefferson and Madison save the day
Believe that the acts are an abuse of government power.
Argue that the acts interfere with state government.
Wrote resolutions to repeal the acts that were passed in the Kentucky and Virginia state legislatures.
The acts were not repealed but were allowed to expire.
The Kentucky and Virginia resolutions proved that states could challenge the federal government.