Chapter 7: Section 4

This is the first time more than one candidate ran for president.

Political parties: groups that help elect people and shape policies

Federalist Party: wanted a strong federal government and supported industry and trade.

Federalists: John Adams and Thomas Pinckney

Democratic-Republican Party: (Republicans) wanted to limit the federal government's powers.

D-R candidates: Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr

Party differences were based partly on where and how people lived.

Federalists: North

Democratic-Republicans: South

Republicans accused Adams of being a royalist

Federalists accused the Republicans of favoring the French.

Adams became president and Jefferson became VP.

Adams had a tough job following beloved president Washington and had to win the peoples trust.

Most saw him as a cold distant person but respected him for all he did in the revolution.

Adams first goal as president: improve relations with France.

Adams sent diplomats to Paris to smooth things over and negotiate a treaty to protect U.S. shipping.

French foreign minister refused to meet with the diplomats instead 3 French agents showed up.

French agents said Minister Talleyrand would only discuss a treaty in exchange for $250,000 (a bribe).

March 1798: President Adams told Congress the peace-seeking mission failed and named the agents X Y and Z.

The XYZ Affair outraged the American public .

Adams asked Congress to expand the navy to a fleet of more than 30 ships and put a peacetime army in place.

He did not want to go to war so Adams tried to reopen peace talks with France.

Adams decision not to declare war stunned Federalists.

American and French ships began fighting each other in the Caribbean.

Adams sent agents to France to engage in talks to try to end the fighting.

A treaty was signed and Adams forced 2 members of his cabinet to resign for trying tot block his peace efforts.

1798: Federalist controlled congress passed the four laws known together as the Alien and Sedition Acts.

Intended to crush opposition to war.

Sedition Act: forbade anyone fro publishing or voicing criticism of the federal government.

Jefferson and Madison viewed these acts as a misuse of the government's power.

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions: argued that the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional and interfered with state government.

Did not have to force of a national law, but they supported the idea that states could challenge the federal government.