THE ADAMS
ADMINISTRATION
1796-1800
• ELECTION OF 1796:
• FEDERALISTS
•
John Adams
• Thomas Pinckney
• REPUBLICANS
•
Thomas Jefferson
•
Aaron Burr
• According to the
Constitution, each man
received votes separately
instead of as a ticket.
• Adams—71
• Jefferson—68
• Pinckney—59
• Burr—30
• Others--48
• John Adams became
President and Thomas
Jefferson became the
Vice-President.
JOHN ADAMS’
CREDENTIALS
• Contributed to preRevolutionary agitation in
Boston
• Delegate to the
Continental Congress
• Helped draft the
Declaration of
Independence
• Helped negotiate the
Treaty of Paris
• First ambassador to Great
Britain
• Adams lacked
Washington’s skill as an
executive leader; he
tended to make decisions
on his own without
consulting Congress or
the Cabinet. He agreed
with Washington’s view
of political parties.
EVENTS OF THE ADAMS’
ADMINISTRATION
• The American
relationship with
France continued to
deteriorate. The
dictatorial board
ruling France (The
Directory) cut off
diplomatic relations
with the U.S.
THE XYZ AFFAIR
• 3 men (including John
Marshall) were sent to
negotiate an end to
the impending
conflict with France.
These men
communicated
through 3
intermediaries known
as X, Y, and Z.
• The French agents told
the Americans that they
would have to pay
$250,000 to be heard.
France also demanded an
apology from Adams for
criticizing France and the
government’s assumption
of debts owed to France
by U.S. citizens. The
Americans refused and
returned home.
• The U.S. fought an
undeclared war (Quasiwar) with France from
1798-1800. The U.S.
navy dominated the
French, sinking warships
and recapturing American
vessels taken by the
French. These victories
gained support for the
Federalist Party.
ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS
• The Federalist
majority in Congress
passed a series of acts
to limit the rights of
immigrants and critics
of the Adams
administration.
ALIEN ACT
• The president could
deport any non-U.S.
citizen he judged to
be a danger to the
country. This act was
not enforced by the
president.
SEDITION ACT
• Permitted
imprisonment and
fines for criticizing
the government and
applied to U.S.
citizens and aliens. It
was enforced, mainly
against Republican
newspapers.
VIRGINIA AND KENTUCKY
RESOLUTIONS
• Anonymously written
by Thomas Jefferson
and James Madison
• Argued the Acts
violated the First
Amendment
• These resolutions
suggested the theory
of NULLIFICATION,
the idea that a state
had the right to veto a
federal law it
considered
unconstitutional.
• John Adams
eventually made
peace with France,
which caused him to
lose the support of his
own political party
(the Federalists).
ELECTION OF 1800
• FEDERALISTS
John Adams
Charles Pinckney
• REPUBLICANS
Thomas Jefferson
Aaron Burr
• Republicans lined up
votes in the electoral
college without
thinking of the
constitutional problem
of no provisions for
party slates—a tie
occurred between
Jefferson and Burr.
•
•
•
•
•
Jefferson—73
Burr—73
Adams—65
Pinckney—64
John Jay--1
• Burr refused to step
aside, and the election
was decided by the
House of
Representatives.
Hamilton led the
Federalists in the
House to elect
Jefferson.
• Hamilton on Burr:
“Burr loves nothing but
himself; thinks of
nothing but his own
aggrandizement, and
will be content with
nothing short of
permanent power in
his own hands.”
• Thomas Jefferson
won the election of
1800 and became the
third president of the
U.S.