John Adamss Presidency The Election of 1796 and Political Parties Federalist Party Democratic Republican Party Pages in your textbook - The Election of 1796 What did Washington say about political unity? More.. More. John Adams Adams becomes the second President of the United States in As was the custom at the time, Thomas Jefferson becomes Vice President as he received the second highest number of votes. Was a leading patriot Served as a foreign diplomat for the U.S. Most people, even his opponents, respected his hard work, intelligence and honesty. XYZ Affair The U.S. and France American merchant ships being seized by French warships French not happy with Jays treaty Adams sends delegates to France to negotiate The Bribe When the U.S. delegates arrived and requested a meeting with the French foreign minister Talleyrand, he refused and sent three agents who demanded a bribe in order for the U.S. delegates to meet with him. The Americans refused! Public Opinion toward France Shifts The XYZ affair - Maiden America ravaged by the French 5 members of the Directory in France Britain looking on from on high Rest of the world looking on Fallout from XYZ Affair Many Americans calling for war with France Hamilton, others thought U.S. could gain land Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute! Adams feels that U.S. Army and Navy not strong enough to fight a major power Sends new ministers instead Unpopular move, but.? XYZ Affair Federalists take control Public anger with France strengthens Federalists in Congress Win majority of both houses in 1798 Enacted laws that were restrictive to Democratic- Republican rivals What did Washington warn about again? Oh yeah political party disagreements. Forget political unity! Alien and Sedition Acts To silence the critics, the Federalist controlled Congress enacted coercive laws that threatened individual rights and the party system. Alien and Sedition Acts Actually 4 coercive acts The Naturalization Act raised the residency requirement to become a citizen from 5 to 14 years. The Alien Act authorized the deportation of foreigners (this was actually two acts Alien Friends and Alien Enemies The Sedition Act prohibited the publication of insults or malicious attacks on the president or members of Congress. Alien and Sedition Acts It was the Sedition Act that generated the most controversy. Prosecutors arrested more than twenty Republican newspaper editors and politicians, accused them of sedition, and convicted and jailed a number of them Political cartoon of Congressman Lyon (holding tongs), and later arrested under the Sedition Acts brawling with Congressman Roger Griswold. He that is not for us is against us, read the Federalist Gazette of the United States. pasleybrothers.com Your Thoughts Pair Share with your neighbor What is wrong with these acts? Be specific, write down some thoughts, and be ready to share out to the class What developed was a constitutional crisis. With justification, Republicans charged that the Sedition Act violated the First Amendments prohibition against abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. Opposition The 10 th Amendment? What about a violation of the 10 th Amendment? What is the 10 Amendment? The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. Why would the Democratic-Republicans say that the acts violated this amendment? Instead, Madison and Jefferson looked to state legislatures for a solution. At their urging, the Kentucky and Virginia legislatures issued resolutions in 1798 declaring the Alien and Seditions Acts to be unauthoritative, void, and of no force. The resolution set forth a states rights interpretation of the Constitution, asserting that the states had a right to judge the legitimacy of national laws.