1. Ch CHALLENGES OF THE 1790s
AMERICAN HISTORY

2. REMAINING NEUTRAL Overthrow of the French Monarchy
Austria and Hungary declare war on France
Great Britain and Spain join in
Americans celebrate the overthrow
A DECLARATION OF NEUTRALITY
French government called on old allies to help
President Washington wanted to remain strictly neutral

3. Neutrality Proclamation (April 1793)
Committed the USA to “pursue conduct friendly and impartial towards the belligerent powers.”
GENET DEFIES NEUTRALITY
Republican newspapers harshly attacked the president
French Ambassador Edmund Genet tried to convince ordinary citizens to support the French

4. Washington & Jefferson though Genet had gone too far.
Genet was sent home
MORE DIPLOMATIC CHALLENGES
Jefferson wanted to resign as Secretary of State
Early 1794-British seize U.S. merchant ships claiming they carried French goods
American sailors sent to prison

5. Jay’s Treaty (1794)
1) British agree to pay for damages to US ships
2) British agree to leave forts on US soil
3) Americans agree to pay debt owed to Britian
Pinckney’s Treaty (1795)
Spain settled many border and trade disputes with USA

6. CONFLICTS IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY
Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794)
Treaty of Greenville (1795)
PRESIDENT ADAMS AND THE XYZ AFFAIR
Washington reluctantly agrees to a second term
He was older and his health was starting to fail
Washington wasn’t universally liked anymore
Mainly because of neutrality

7. ELECTION OF 1796
Intense political rivalry between parties
Jefferson (Dem.-Reps.) vs. John Adams (Feds.)
Federalists easily won a majority of electors
SECTIONALISM—loyalty to one’s region
Adams favored in the North while his running mate Thomas Pinckney was favored in the South
Election Result: Adams 71, Jefferson 68
Adams was president and his political rival Jefferson was vice president

8. MORE PROBLEMS WITH FRANCE
French ships began seizing US merchant vessels
Adams sent Charles Pinckney as a diplomatic representative to France but he was turned away (a serious insult)
XYZ AFFAIR—Adams sent a report to Congress describing the incident of the 3 minor French diplomats demanding bribes and loans.
Many Americans want war
“Millions for defense but not one cent for tribute”

9. Congress cuts off trade with France
Pre-revolutionary treaties were canceled
US Navy could capture French ships at sea
US policy forces the new French leader, General Napoleon Bonaparte to sign treaties on trade.
Adams and Congress had avoided a costly war with France
CENSORING FREE SPEECH
Congress passed laws protecting the country from foreign enemies

10. ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS
Alien Acts
Aimed mainly at French and Irish refugees
Increased the period of residency required for citizenship from 5 to 14 years
Required foreigners to register with the government
Allowed the president to jail or expel any foreigner thought to be “dangerous to the peace and safety”
Sedition Act
Outlawed any opposition to government policies by actions or by “false, scandalous, or malicious writing.”
In effect it prohibited criticism of government officials
A clear contradiction to the First Amendment

11. Adams used the Alien and Sedition Acts cautiously
Jefferson and Madison drafted the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
Argument was the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional
Many supporters of states’ rights believed that nullification of federal laws by states was legal.
Only Virginia and Kentucky passed the resolutions
The end result was a deeper and more bitter political divide in the Congress and country.
The End