The Federalists in Charge
Key Terms

 Foreign policy – relations with the governments of other
countries
 Political party – a group of people that tries to promote its
ideas and influence government, and also backs candidates
for office
 XYZ Affair – a 1797 incident in which French officials
demanded a bribe from U.S. diplomats
 Alien and Sedition Acts – a series of four laws enacted in
1798 to reduce the political power of recent immigrants to
the United States
 States’ rights – theory that said that states had the right to
judge when the federal government had passed an
unconstitutional law
Bell Ringer

These questions focus on Washington’s opposition to political parties.
 1. Read the quote from Washington’s Farewell address. What did
he mean by the “baneful effects of the spirit of party?”
 “Let me now…warn you…against the [harmful] effects of the spirit of
party…This spirit, unfortunately…exists in different shapes in all
governments…but in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest
rankness and is truly their worst enemy.”
George Washington, Farewell Address
 2. Why might Washington’s advice to avoid political parties be
hard to follow?
Terms and People
• faction – an organized political group
• James Madison – supported Thomas
Jefferson’s Republican views
• Thomas Jefferson – Republican candidate for
President in 1796 and the nation’s second Vice
President
• Alexander Hamilton – Washington’s Secretary
of the Treasury; supported Federalist ideas
• John Adams – Federalist candidate for
President in 1796 and the nation’s second
President
Objectives
•Explain how early political parties
emerged.
•Compare the political views of the
Republicans and the Federalists.
•Discuss the result of the election of
1796.
In 1796, Washington published his Farewell
Address to fellow Americans.
Washington made two main points:
1. He feared that political divisions would
tear the nation apart.
2. He believed that the United States
should not become involved in
European affairs.
Washington took pride in his accomplishments.
America had a
functioning
federal
government.
The economy
was
improving.
He had
avoided war.
The Northwest
Territory was
free from
British troops
and safe to
settle.
How did two political parties emerge?
Early political groups were called factions.
They were widely thought to be selfish groups.
Washington and others feared that factions
would be destructive to the new government.
Washington Retires

 Washington spent 8 years in office
 1. What advice did Washington give the
nation on foreign affairs?
 To remain neutral and avoid alliances
 2. Over what issues did political parties
develop?
 How the nation should be run
 How to interpret the Constitution
 Economic policy
By the 1790s, Thomas Jefferson and
Alexander Hamilton were quarreling and
growing apart.
Thomas
Jefferson,
Secretary of State
Alexander
Hamilton,
Secretary of the
Treasury
http://www.cspanclassroom.org/Lesson/938/Bell+Ringer+Hamiltonianism+versus+Jeff
ersonianism.aspx
Jefferson’s and Hamilton’s differences led to
the development of the first political parties.
Republicans
supported Thomas
Jefferson and his
ally, James
Madison.
Federalists
supported
Alexander Hamilton
and his ideas.
The Democratic-Republicans wanted to keep
most power at the state or local level.
Federal
government
States
They feared that a strong central government
would act like a monarchy.
The Federalists said that the United States
needed a strong federal government.
They believed
the federal
government
would hold the
country together
and deal with its
problems.
Federal
government
States
The two parties also had geographic differences.
Federalists were
strong among
Northern
merchants.
Republicans were
supported largely
by Southern
farmers.
Federalists and Republicans disagreed about many
issues.
Republicans
Federalists
Were led by Thomas Jefferson
Were led by Alexander Hamilton
Believed people should have political
power
Believed wealthy and educated should
lead
Favored strong state government
Favored strong central government
Emphasized agriculture
Emphasized manufacturing, shipping,
and trade
Favored strict interpretation of
Constitution
Favored loose interpretation of
Constitution
Were pro-French
Were pro-British
Opposed national bank
Favored national bank
Opposed protective tariff
Favored protective tariff
Growth of Political Parties

 3. Who were the leaders and the major groups that
supported each party?
 Jefferson & Madison (Democratic-Republican party)
 Farmers and workers
 Hamilton (Federalist party)
 Northern merchants and manufacturers
 4. What were the major beliefs of each party?
 Democratic-Republican – democracy and republican system;
saw a nation of rural planters and farmers
 Federalist – strong central government; emphasis on trade,
manufacturing, and cities
In 1796, Washington said he would not seek a
third term. There would be an election.
Why was the election of 1796 different from the
previous election?
Both political parties nominated a candidate.
Republican
Candidate
Federalist
Candidate
Thomas
Jefferson
John Adams
In 1796, the President and Vice President were
not elected together, as they are today.
The candidate with the most votes became
President.
The second-place candidate became Vice
President.
Adams finished first and Jefferson finished
second. The nation gained a Federalist President
and a Republican Vice President.
#1
John Adams
#2
Thomas Jefferson
This led to serious tensions during the next four years.
John Adams Takes Office

 5. Why was the election of 1796 different from the
previous election?
 Political parties competed
 6. How did Thomas Jefferson, Adams’ rival for
president, become his vice president?
 The Constitution said the runner-up should be vice
president.
 Jefferson received 68 electoral votes, Adams had 71
 John Adams became the first president to reside in D.C.
Problems with France

 Relations with France were still tense
 Britain and France were still engaged in war
 France didn’t want the U.S. trading with Britain
 Started seizing American merchant ships
 Adams did not want war, sent representatives to Paris
 Charles Pinckney, Elbridge Gerry, John Marshall
 They tried to meet with the French minister, but were ignored
In 1797, Adams sent a mission to France. This led
to a scandal known as the XYZ Affair.
French agents
demanded that the
U.S. pay them a large
bribe.
bribe
$$
The Americans refused. The French agents were
anonymously known as X, Y, and Z.
XYZ Affair

 7. What caused the XYZ Affair?
 France was seizing U.S. ships, Adams sent reps to talks
 Three French men – X, Y, Z – told the Americans the
minister would talk
 But…
 Only if the Americans agreed to
1.
2.
Loan $10 million to France
Pay a $250,000 bribe to the minister
XYZ Affair

 8. How did the XYZ Affair
show the young nation’s
growing confidence?
 The nation was willing to
defy French power and to
build up its strength
 How did the XYZ Affair
affect U.S.
relations with France?
 U.S. started seizing French
ships and
cancelled its treaties (1798)
The XYZ Affair caused war fever in America.
Adams asked Congress to increase the size of the
army and rebuild the navy.
From 1798–1800,
the United States
fought an
undeclared naval
war with France.
In 1798, war fever drove Federalists to pass laws
to destroy their political opponents.
aliens
The Alien Act was
directed at aliens, such
as immigrants.
Republicans
The Sedition Act
targeted Republicans.
The Alien and Sedition Acts

 Democratic-Republicans and
Federalists disagreed over the
conflict with France – traded
barbs in newspapers
 9. Why did Congress pass the
Alien and Sedition Acts?
 To punish and silence their
critics (immigrants)
 Congress was Federalist
majority
Alien Act
• Increased the duration, from 5 to
14 years, that a person had to
live in the U.S. to become a
citizen.
• Gave the President power to
deport or imprison any alien
considered dangerous.
Sedition Act
• The harshest law limiting free
speech ever passed in the U.S.
• Made it a crime for anyone to
write or say anything insulting or
false about the President,
Congress, or the government.
1.
Alien and Sedition Acts

Naturalization – the time to become
a citizen increased from 5 years to
14 years
2. Gave the President the power to
arrest disloyal aliens (immigrants)
3. Gave the President the power to
order aliens out of the country
during time of war
4. Outlawed sedition – saying to
writing anything false or harmful
about the government
Passage of the Alien and Sedition acts renewed
the debate over federal versus state power.
Arguments for State’s
Rights
Arguments for Federal
Power
• The federal government
derives its power from
rights given to it by the
states.
• The federal government
derives its power from
rights given to it by the
American people.
• Because the states created
the United States,
individual states have the
power to nullify a federal
law.
• States have no power to
nullify federal laws.
• States cannot revoke
federal powers set forth in
the Constitution.
Republicans fought the Alien and Sedition
acts.
Kentucky and Virginia passed resolutions that
declared the acts unconstitutional. These state
resolutions had little immediate impact, but the
Alien and Sedition acts did not last long.
The Sedition Act
expired in 1801.
The waiting period
to become a citizen
was restored to 5
years in 1802.
The Virginia and Kentucky resolutions were far
more important than the laws that provoked
them.
They claimed
that states could
nullify a
law passed by
Congress.
The
resolutions
also boosted
the idea of
states’
rights.
The Alien and Sedition Acts,
continued

 10. How were immigrants and members of the press affected by
these acts?
 Charged with expressing opinions damaging to the government or
president
 11. How did the Democratic-Republicans use the theory of states’
rights to fight the Alien and Sedition Acts?
 To deem the Acts unconstitutional
 12. How did Kentucky and Virginia support the DemocraticRepublicans’ position?
 Passed resolutions that declared the Acts unconstitutional
Adams opposed a full-scale war with France.
He sent a new mission
to France to meet with
dictator Napoleon
Bonaparte.
In 1800, Napoleon agreed to stop seizing
American ships. Adams had avoided war.
Peace with France

 13. How did Adams settle the conflict
between the United States and France?
 Held peace talks
 They reached a deal – both sides would
end all naval attacks
 Convention of 1800
“Here lies John Adams, who took upon himself
the responsibility of the peace with France in the
year 1800.”
Chapter 9 Review

Abigail Adams was not only a brilliant woman in her own right, but
she also furthered the career of her husband, John.
She was the first woman in history to be the wife of one President and
the mother of another, John Quincy (Barbara Bush being the second,
wife of George Bush and mother of George W. Bush).
(The White House Historical Association.)