Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

Washington Retires

- Washington was greatly admired by the American people, but came under attack during his 2nd term for signing off on Jay’s Treaty

- people felt Jay’s Treaty favored our relationship with England and weakened our relationship with France (England was supposed to be our enemy!!!)

- Washington felt the attacks on him were because of political disagreements and the creation of political parties would weaken our nation

Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

- Washington also gave advice on foreign policy & urged our nation’s future leaders to remain neutral and “steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.”

- Washington’s presidency (1789 – 1797) set the precedent for how all other presidents would serve in the executive office

George Washington – “Father of the United States of America”

Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

Growth of Political Parties

- Federalists & Antifederalists argued on how to interpret the Constitution and on economic policy

- Hamilton favored the British government & opposed the French Revolution

- Jefferson & Madison favored the French and also did not want a strong central government

- Hamilton wanted a United States in which trade, cities, and manufacturing grew

Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

- Jefferson & Madison pictured a rural nation of planters and farmers

- these differences on foreign and domestic policy led to the nation’s first political parties

- Jefferson & Madison founded the Democratic-Republican Party that stressed democracy and the republican system

- Hamilton helped form the Federalist Party that stressed strong national government, shipping, and manufacturing

Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

John Adams Takes Office

- the Federalists chose John Adams to represent them in the 1st presidential election

- the Democratic-Republicans chose Thomas Jefferson

John Adams (1796 – 1801)

- Adams won the election with 71 electoral votes to Jefferson’s 68

- Adams won the presidency & Jefferson was given the vice president role since he was 2nd

Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

- in 1800, Adams became the first president to serve from the nation’s new capital city, Washington D.C.

- he also became the first president to serve from the Executive Office (called the White House later on)

Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

Problems with France

- when Washington left office in 1797, relations between France and the U.S. were very tense

- within the year, France had looted more than 300 U.S. ships to prevent them from trading with England

- Adams followed Washington’s example of neutrality & sent Charles Pinckney to Paris to speak about foreign affairs

- the foreign minister of France refused to speak to Pinckney, unless the U.S. paid France $10 million and $250,000 to the minister as a bribe, so they used 3 agents to speak: X, Y, Z!!!

Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

- the U.S. canceled all treaties with France and began seizing French vessels once word of the XYZ Affair got out

Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

The Alien & Sedition Acts

- the conflict with France made Adams & the Federalists popular with the public

- many Democratic-Republicans still supported France!

- Adams blamed the Democratic-Republican newspapers & immigrants for a lot of the political conflicts

- to silence their critics, the Federalist Congress passed the Alien & Sedition Acts in 1798

Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

Alien & Sedition Act provisions:

1. increased the waiting period for becoming a U.S. citizen from 5 to 14 years!2. gave the president the power to arrest disloyal aliens or order them out of the country during wartime!3. outlawed sedition, which is saying or writing anything false or harmful about the government!

- with these acts, the Federalists were clamping down on freedom of speech and the press

Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

- the Democratic-Republicans, led by Jefferson & Madison, found a way to fight this act through the theory, states’ rights

- states’ rights basically were rights the federal government couldn’t violate according to the Constitution

- when the Democratic-Republicans won control of Congress in 1800, they repealed the Alien & Sedition Acts

Ch.9, Sec.3 – The Federalists in Charge

Peace with France

- in 1800, Adams reopened talks with France and was successful in signing the “Convention of 1800”, which ended all violent actions between France & the United States!

- Adams’ actions made him enemies among the Federalists, but he didn’t care and was extremely proud of keeping the U.S. out of another war!!!

- unfortunately, Adams lost his bid for re-election to Jefferson in 1800 and served until 1801