The John Adams Presidency

Election of 1796

• Republicans recruited immigrants heavily• Crucial swing states were PA and NY

THE XYZ AFFAIR

French Crisis

• French felt Jay’s Treaty was an attempt for US to help Britain in war against France

• After Jefferson’s loss, France began seizing US ships carrying goods to British ports

• Ordered every US sailor captured should be hanged

XYZ Affair

• Hoping to avoid war, Adams sent a peace commission to Paris

• French foreign minister, Talleyrand, refused to meet the delegation said French minister’s (named) XYZ.

• Only would he meet the 3 US agents after he:– received $250,000– France got a loan of $12 million

An Innocent Young American is being plundered by Frenchmen as John Bull looks on in amusement from

across the English Channel

XYZ Affair Effects at Home

• Americans reacted with outrage

• Discredited Dem. Repubs. foreign policy views

• Congress responded by arming 54 ships to protect US commerce

• Increase in Military– tripled the regular army to 10,000 men in 1798– Established Department of Navy, expanding

beyond 3 ships– Marine Corps re-established

Ending the Conflict • The QUASI-WAR: Undeclared Naval conflict in

Caribbean from 1798-1800– Captured over 80 armed French ships

• Talleyrand made it clear they would re-negotiate

• When US envoy got to France, Napoleon had taken over and he wanted to end conflict with US

USS Delaware takes the French privateer La Croyable off Egg Harbor, NJ

Alien and Sedition Acts

• French had been undermining western citizen’s loyalty to America.

• Rumors that groups wanted to abandon US and create a French nation in the west.

• Fear of open war with French, needed to protect national security

• Congress passed 4 measures known as the Alien and Sedition Acts

See Handouts for Specifics on Alien and Sedition Acts

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

• Written by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson

• Argued that states made Fed. Gov through compact, therefore should have the power to pass if dislike Legislation made.

• REALLY protests against the limitations on civil liberties in the Alien and Sedition Acts