American Politics
in the 1790’s
Federalists
Versus
Democratic-Republicans
Who were the leaders?
What were the issues?
Growth of Political Parties
THE ELECTION OF 1796
Vice President John Adams (left) against former
Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson (right), former
friends now turned bitter political enemies.
1796 Election Results
(16 states in the Union)
Candidate
State
Party
Electoral Votes
John Adams
Massachusetts
Federalist
71
51.4%
Thomas
Jefferson
Virginia
DemocraticRepublican
68
49.3%
Thomas
Pinckney
South Carolina
Federalist
59
42.8%
Aaron Burr
New York
DemocraticRepublican
30
21.7%
Samuel Adams
Massachusetts
Federalist
15
10.9%
Oliver Ellsworth
Connecticut
Federalist
11
8.0%
George Clinton
New York
DemocraticRepublican
7
5.1%
Other
-
-
15
10.9%
Total Number of Electors
138
Total Electoral Votes Cast
276
Number of Votes for a Majority
70
Percent
1796 Election Results
JOHN ADAMS
stubborn, insecure,
but high-minded
 Protect American
interests but proBritish
 How do you follow
George Washington?

JOHN ADAMS

Presidential Issues
◦ XYZ Affair
◦ Quasi-War against
France
◦ Alien and Sedition Acts
◦ Kentucky and Virginia
Resolutions
◦ What do you do when
your Vice-President is
working against you?
War between France and England
Adams supported
British (Federalist
stance)
 Jefferson supported
French (DemocraticRepublican stance)

XYZ Affair

American diplomats
in Paris to negotiate
◦ John Marshall
◦ Elbridge Gerry
◦ Charles Cotesworth
Pinckney
3 unnamed French
agents (X,Y, and Z)
solicited bribes from
Americans
 Had to pay to see
French diplomats

XYZ Affair
XYZ Affair
A British cartoon shows the United States (the young lady in the feathered Indian
headdress) being accosted by impertinent and avaricious diplomats representing
Revolutionary France.
Results of the XYZ Affair
 Congress
(controlled by Federalists)
◦ Cut off trade w/France
◦ Used privateers to attack French ships
◦ Unofficial allies with British
◦ Waged undeclared war with French
◦ Need to strengthen defense
Beginnings of the U.S. Navy

Navy Act of 1794
◦ 6 frigates built (Mediterranean)

Navy (part of Department of War)
◦ Large 44-gun frigates planned.
 More heavily armed and faster

Marines deployed on ships
◦ Tradition of British
 Protect Captain and officers from crew
 Provide musket fire
Quasi-War on The High Seas
Operations of the Quasi-War

Main theater: West Indies
◦ U.S. vs. French
◦ U.S. uses British ports
◦ Most of French fleet blockaded in Europe

U.S. naval funding increased in 1799
◦ Shipbuilding increases size of Navy
The Alien and Sedition Acts
Used by Adams/Federalists
to retaliate against
Jefferson/Republicans
 Satiric portrayal: first fight
in Congress: Matthew
Lyon and Roger Griswold
 Lyon later prosecuted
under Sedition Act

The Alien and Sedition Acts

Alien Acts June, 1798
◦ Naturalization Act = longer residence for
citizenship
◦ 5 years to 14
◦ president has power to expel/incarcerate
foreigners (anti-French)

Sedition Act July, 1798
◦ crime to publish criticisms of government (antiDem.-Rep.)
◦ Allowed arrest and/or imprisonment of antiFederalist publishers
The Alien and Sedition Acts
Constitutional or Unconstitutional?
 Could Dem.-Reps. Challenge in the courts?

◦ No concept of judicial review yet
◦ Most federal judges were Federalist
The Kentucky and Virginia
Resolutions,1798
Jefferson and Madison: Sedition Act
violates 1st Amendment
 States can nullify federal law if
unconstitutional
 Jumpstarts Jefferson’s bid for president

The Kentucky and Virginia
Resolutions,1798

Kentucky
◦ “unauthoritative, void,
and of no force”

Virginia
◦ States have right to
refuse to enforce
unconstitutional federal
laws
THE ELECTION OF 1800
John Adams (left) and Thomas Jefferson (right) squared off for the presidency for a second time in 1800. It
was the first and only instance in American history when a sitting President and Vice President ran against
each other.
John Adams
Federalist party
 Ended quasi-war
 Jefferson: a pro-French
radical

Thomas Jefferson


Democratic-Republican
(Republican) party
Critical of Adams for
◦ Alien and Sedition Acts
◦ Increased taxes for
undeclared war
Candidates did not campaign!
Election of 1800
BRANDING
JEFFERSON AS A
DANGEROUS
RADICAL
A Federalist cartoon depicts
Thomas Jefferson was an
enemy of religion, lawful
government, and the
Constitution, who wanted to
import a French-style
revolution and reign of
terror to America.
FEDERALIST
ATTACKS GET
PERSONAL
This anti-Jefferson cartoon
highlights the rumors that
the Virginia politician kept a
black mistress (Sally
Hemmings, his slave and
also his wife’s half-sister)
THE CAPITAL MOVES SOUTH
John and Abigail Adams become the first occupants of the “executive
mansion” in 1800
1800 Election Results
(16 states in the Union)
Candidate
State
Party
Electoral Votes
Percent
Thomas
Jefferson
Virginia
DemocraticRepublican
73
52.9%
Aaron Burr
New York
DemocraticRepublican
73
52.9%
John Adams
Massachusetts
Federalist
65
47.1%
Charles
Pinckney
South Carolina
Federalist
64
46.4%
John Jay
New York
Federalist
1
0.7%
Total Number of Electors
138
Total Electoral Votes Cast
276
Number of Votes for a Majority
70
1800 Election Results

Tie – Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr . . .
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
House of Representatives decides
Each state gets one vote
candidate with majority became president
House voted 35 times without a winner
Alexander Hamilton convinces states to support
Jefferson
1800 Final Election Results After 36 Ballots
(In the House of Representatives!!)
 1 vote for each State 
Candidate
State
Party
Votes
Percent
Thomas
Jefferson
Virginia
DemocraticRepublican
10
62.5%
Aaron
Burr
New
York
DemocraticRepublican
4
25.0%
Blank
-------
2
12.5%
Thomas Jefferson becomes President
Aaron Burr becomes Vice-President
1800 Election Results
Why would Hamilton (who hates Jefferson)
support him?
 Democratic-Republicans take control of both
House and Senate
 1796

◦ Federalists have both houses and the presidency

1800
◦ Republicans have both houses and the presidency

Adams doesn’t stay for Jefferson’s
inauguration
1800 Election Results
The “Revolution” of 1800?

New Republic
◦ Weathered international storms
 French Revolution
 Napoleonic Wars
◦ new spirit of nationalism
◦ Party system
 legitimate dissent (“the loyal opposition”)
 Established pattern for diffusing/limiting political unrest
Precedent of peaceful transfer of power
from one party to another
 Did we pass the first, big Constitutional test?

The Twelfth Amendment



Electors cast one vote instead of two
President/vice-president on same ticket
President/vice-president cannot be from
same state