The First Political Parties

• Chose John Adams as candidate in 1796

• valued strong business and strong central government

• Popular in the North with business people and merchants

• supported by rich and educated Americans

• Chose Thomas Jefferson as their candidate in 1796

• Popular party in the southern states

• believed in less government and protection of ordinary people

• supported by farmers

• Adams wins the election with 71 electoral votes

• Jefferson comes in 2nd with 68 votes

• Jefferson becomes the Vice President to John Adams...

• John Adams gets blamed for supporting the Alien and Sedition Acts

• The Alien and Sedition Acts allowed the government to put people in jail for speaking out against the government.

• The laws also allowed the president to imprison and deport any aliens he felt were dangerous to the U.S.

France demands that the U.S. give them a loan and tried to bribe the U.S.

The French said if the U.S. gave into their demands then they would stop attacking American ships

The American people are very angry with the French and are demanding war with France!

• John Adams vs Thomas Jefferson (again)

• Jefferson wins by a landslide! Adams was blamed for supporting Alien and Sedition Acts