o James Adams: Federalist

o Thomas Jefferson: Democratic-Republican

o Federalists viewed themselves as an

organized government

o Federalists viewed Democratic-Republicans

as dangerous radicals who would bring
chaos to the US

o Democratic-Republicans viewed themselves

as supporters of independence and fighters
for equal rights

Letter written by Jefferson to Adams on o Democratic-Republicans viewed Federalists

Dec. 28, 1796. as wanting to create a type of monarchy in
the US that would benefit the wealthy
 o Adams won 71-68 over Jefferson

o Constitution  candidate with 2nd most votes is vice president

o Vice President Jefferson

MAJOR PROBLEM!!!
o Two different political parties = vastly different beliefs on
governmental policies

o Close margin of victory  country had become divided despite

Washington’s warning

o North = Adams & Federalists

o South = Jefferson & Democratic-Republicans
 o Served on Continental Congress & Committee of
Five

o Traveled to Europe during American Revolution

to gain support for patriot cause

o Treaty of Paris negotiator

o Helped make international trade deals

Ben Franklin, John Adams,
and Thomas Jefferson
drafting the Declaration of o Served as vice president under Washington
Independence.
 o France was angry US signed Jay’s Treaty with Great Britain in 1794

o End of 1796  France ended its relationship with the US

o Over next two years, France seized more than 300 American ships

o 1798  US Department of the Navy was

established
o 1798 – 1800: US fought naval battles with
France (formal war not declared)
o US had become an unofficial ally of Great USS Constellation captured the
French L’Insurgente in the
Britain Caribbean.

Adams adopted anti-French policies that were

supported by most Federalists.
 XYZ Affair

How would you describe what’s depicted in this British political cartoon
Copyright © 2018 The Rittmann Group, LLC
 XYZ Affair
• U.S. diplomats were asked for a $250,000 bribe
to meet with French diplomats

• Also asked to pay a $10 million tribute to France

just to negotiate

• This angered Adams, but he replaced the

names of the three French agents with “X”,”Y”, Copyright © 2018

and “Z”
The Rittmann
Group, LLC

• Thus the name “XYZ Affair” was born

• The U.S. refused to pay

 Quasi-War
Events of the XYZ Affair led to the Quasi-War
• The Quasi-War was an undeclared
war fought almost completely at sea
between French and U.S. ships

• It lasted from 1798 until 1800 when

a peace agreement ended the
conflict

• Adams considered this his greatest

achievement as President; the The USS Constellation
avoidance of an official war with captures the French frigate L’
France Insurgente
Copyright © 2018 The Rittmann Group, LLC
o Many French refugees left home country to escape the war & settled in
US

o Strong anti-French mood spread

across US

o Federalists concerned refugees

would support Democratic-
Republicans because they
supported the French cause

Draft of the Alien & Sedition Acts in 1798

 o Passed June 1798

Federalists wanted to retain power in

Congress.
• Limited voting rights of immigrants

• Immigrants had to live in US for 14 years to be able to vote.

o Jefferson accused Adams of trying to prevent Democratic-Republican

party from gaining power (because most immigrants supported
Democratic-Republicans)

• Gave executive branch power to deport any immigrant

determined to be dangerous to the US or who had ties to a
country that was at war with the US.
 • Made it illegal to publicly disagree with the US government.
• Someone who wrote, spoke, or published
anything “false, scandalous, and malicious”
about the government or government officials
could be fined or imprisoned

• Adams was given power to decide if someone

committed treason against the US government

• Democratic-Republicans and their supports

were targeted because they printed
newspapers and pamphlets that opposed the
Federalist controlled Congress

First page of manuscript that • Over 20 Democratic-Republican newspaper

defines the crime of treason
and to define and punish the editors were imprisoned
crime of sedition c.1798
o Jefferson and James Madison urged state
governments to refuse to enforce the Alien
& Sedition Acts

o Violated First Amendment rights (freedom of

speech & press)

o Virginia and Kentucky believed states had

the right to determine if a federal law was
unconstitutional

o 1798  Virginia and Kentucky passed

legislature that declared the Alien & Sedition
Acts unlawful First page of a letter written by James
Madison to Thomas Jefferson in May
o Began the idea of nullification and states’ 1798, calling the Alien and Sedition
Acts ”a monster that must forever
rights disgrace its parents.”
 o 1800  Adams had little support

o Fighting with France had ended, but Federalists in Congress wanted

war with France

o Americans were angry because the Alien & Sedition Acts were
unconstitutional

o Adams lost election of 1800