Chapter 4 section 2
Objective 1.03 assess commercial & diplomatic relationships with other
nations
JOHN ADAMS
1797 - 1801
THE QUASI-WAR
French angry over Jay’s Treaty
 Federalists called for War against France
 Adams reluctant to go to war
 **The XYZ Affair

Sent Charles Pinckney, Elbridge Gerry & John Marshall to
negotiate
 Three French agents tried to bribe them even before the
negotiations began
 Became highly publicized & nationalism rose throughout
the country

June 1798 – Congress stopped trade with France &
ordered capture of their ships
 Became an undeclared war at sea

Convention of 1800
Agreement between US & France
 U.S. will give up all claims against (seizure of
cargo etc.) France.
 France released the US from Franco-American
Treaty of 1778.
 ** The U.S. would have no other treaty with
another country which required US military help
until AFTER WWII.

WHAT IMPORTANT POINT DID JAY’S TREATY GIVE
THE US?
Florida
2. Rights to the Mississippi
River
3. Most Favored Nation
Status
4. $10,000/year
**Temporarily kept us out
of war.
1.
POLITICS AT HOME

*Alien & Sedition Acts
 Made
non-citizens
wait 14 years to
become citizens
 Aliens dangerous to
the US could be
deported
 Citizens were not
allowed to criticize
public officials
• Aimed at Anti-British
immigrants who usually
voted Republican
•Aimed at preventing
Republicans from
criticizing the
government
VIRGINIA & KENTUCKY RESOLUTIONS
Secretly written by Jefferson & Madison
 Resolutions in these 2 legislatures passed
which criticized the Alien & Sedition Acts
 Interposition – theory that if the federal
government does something unconstitutional
the state could step in & stop the illegal action
 Nullification – theory that if the federal
government passed an unconstitutional law the
states had the right to nullify the law or declare
it invalid

THE ELECTION OF 1800
Federalists
John Adams
Democratic-Republicans
Thomas Jefferson
THE REVOLUTION OF 1800
Name for the election
 A major change in power in Presidency &
Congress
 Constitutional problem – Tie for the presidency
between both Republicans (Burr & Jefferson) –
House of Representatives had to choose
 12th amendment - 1804
