chapter 10.5 john adams takes office as the 2 nd potus
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Chapter 10.5 John Adams takes office as the 2 nd POTUS. Though George Washington had made precedents for future presidents to follow John Adams would get to do something that George Washington did not get to Live and work at the White House… At least when it’s done. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Chapter 10.5 John Adams takes office as the 2nd POTUS
• Though George Washington had made precedents for future presidents to follow– John Adams would get to
do something that George Washington did not get to
• Live and work at the White House…– At least when it’s done.
President Adams arrives in Washington, D.C.
Pres. Adam’s Goals while in office
• Improve relations with the French– Hated not being able to
help during the French Revolution
• Meanwhile,– French privateers have
been attacking American ships….
• Not this again…
Pres. Adams sends U.S. diplomats to France
• U.S. Diplomats– People sent to other
countries to do represent America.
• What was their job? – To get France to stop
attacking our ships• French foreign minister
refused to talk to us….he’s still a little mad.– So he sends 3 secret
agents to talk to us…
The XYZ Affair….A Musical
• http://www1.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=364
XYZ Affair…a Summary
• France wanted us to pay just to discuss a treaty:– $250,000 – Loan $12,000,000
• We say “No thanks”– Then, we build the world’s largest naval ships…• Led by USS Constitution
– Nicknamed “Old Ironsides”
USS Constitution
• Carried up to 60 cannons – 30 per side
• Almost twice as much gun power as the average privateer
• Do you think the privateers will attack this ship?
USS Constitution, today
France agrees to a treaty
• 1800– Pres. Adams finally gets a treaty signed with
France• Took almost 4 years!
– The public was very upset about how Pres. Adams handled the French…• Started writing terrible things about the President in
the newspapers…
President Adams tries to silence the public
• Pres. Adams wants to keep the public from attacking the government– Passes the Alien and Sedition Act• Alien act
– POTUS can have foreign residents removed from the US if they speak out against the United States
• Sedition Act– Made it illegal to “write, print, speak, or publish” any hostile
words against the government or its policies…
– Does this sound like a president or a mad king trying to quiet the citizens?
VPOTUS Jefferson disagrees with the POTUS
• VP Jefferson wants to discuss with Pres. Adams why he should not pass these laws:
• Reasons:– Will make POTUS very
unpopular
– US Constitution, 1st Amendment» Freedom of speech,
press, etc.
• What do you think Pres. Adams says?
VP and POTUS discuss the Alien and Sedition Acts
So where does this get us?
Review Questions
• What is the XYZ Affair?
• What are the Alien and Sedition Acts?
• What is the USS Constitution?