John Adams Administration John Adams Administration Federalist o

John Adams Administration

John Adams Administration • Federalist o V. P. Thomas Jefferson o Had enemies in his own party o Foreign Policy dominated his presidency

Adams’ Foreign Policy • French are angry about Jay’s Treaty o Begin seizing American merchant ships o Adams sent diplomats to France o The 3 French officials known by code, X, Y, and Z o Demanded $250, 000 bribes o Called the XYZ Affair • Public sentiment in the US roused against France o An undeclared naval war ensued

Adams’ Domestic Policy • The Federalist exploited the event and used it to their advantage o Alien and Sedition Acts • Authorized the President to arrest and deport immigrants who criticized the federal government • Immigrants tended to be Dem -Reps • Citizens could not speak out of the gov’t Delegates arguing over the Sedition Act

The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions • VA and KY Resolutions o Jefferson and Madison o Declared the Sedition Act unconstitutional o Could states nullify laws that violated the Constitution?

Election of 1800 • Federalist Party was very unpopular and Adams was unpopular within his own party • Election of 1800 o Federalist: John Adams o Democratic Republican: Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr • Jefferson and Burr tied • Hamilton preferred Jefferson and encouraged his party to vote that way • Peaceful transfer of power from one party to another • To avoid this issue in the future 11 th Amendment is ratified electors vote separately for President and V. P.

Hamilton v. Burr • Burr was offended by Hamilton’s interference o Challenged him to a dual o Hamilton was killed