The Struggle Over Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy Issues• Jay’s Treaty• Chief Justice John Jay

sent to London to negotiate a number of disagreements left from the Revolutionary War

Foreign Policy Issues• Wanted removal of

British forces in US• Payment for ships

taken in the West Indies

• Accept American definition of neutrality

Foreign Policy Issues

• British agreed to leave the forts and some small ship alone

• Rejected the US position on neutral rights

• Will continue to search American ships on the high seas

Washington Says Farewell

• September 1796

• Washington warned against all political factions

• Avoid making permanent alliances with distant nations that had no intention in promoting American security

The Election of 1796

• Washington completes his second term and announced he would not seek a third term

The Election of 1796

• Jefferson (Republican) and

• Adams (Federalists) run for Pres

The Election of 1796

• John Adams won the election, with Jefferson to serve as his Vice President

John Adams as President

• 61 years old• Harvard educated

lawyer• Short, bald,

overweight, and vain• “His Rotundity”

John Adams as President

• Adam’s first issue as President was the interference of American shipping by French naval vessels

• An American delegation was sent to Paris

The XYZ Affair

• The French, postponed official negotiations.

• Meanwhile, three French emissaries (known later simply as X, Y, and Z) demanded that the Americans pay a bribe of $250,000 and provide a $10 million loan.

The XYZ Affair

• Adams recalled his delegation and condemn the French government

The XYZ Affair

• The Federalist-controlled Congress prepared for war by authorizing a 20,000 man army and calling George Washington out of retirement as commander in chief

• During the winter of 1798, an undeclared naval war took place between France and the United States.

The Alien and Sedition Acts

• Federalist dominated Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts

The Alien and Sedition Acts

• Alien Enemies Law: gave the president the power to imprison or deport any foreigner believed to be dangerous to the United States

The Alien and Sedition Acts

• Alien Law: made it a crime to attack the government with "false, scandalous, or malicious" statements or writings.

The Alien and Sedition Acts

• Naturalization Law: lengthened the period necessary before immigrants could become citizens from 5 to 14 years

The Alien and Sedition Acts

• Federalist prosecutors used the Sedition Act to convict ten editors and printers.

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

• Kentucky and Virginia adopted resolutions written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison denouncing the Alien and Sedition Acts

• Kentucky Resolutions declared the federal government had violated the Bill of Rights

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

• Virginia Resolution• Advanced the idea

that the states had a right to declare federal laws null and void

• Election of 1800 would decide this…

Death George Washington

• December 13th, 1799 George Washington woke his wife, complaining of severe pain

• Over the course of that day doctors attempted to ease the pain of the former president

Death George Washington

• December 14th, 1799 the former president died• Richard Henry Lee delivered the most famous

eulogy• Proclaimed Washington was “First in war, first in

peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen”

The Election of 1800

• Candidates• Thomas Jefferson,

Republican vs. John Adams, Federalist

The Election of 1800

• Jefferson defeated Adams by 8 electoral votes, so did Aaron Burr (Jefferson’s running mate)

• House of Representatives called on to settle tie

• Took 6 days and 35 ballots

The Election of 1800

• Alexander Hamilton intervened, persuaded Federalists to cast votes for Jefferson

• Hamilton thought Jefferson was more qualified to lead than Burr

The Election of 1800

• 36 ballot Rep James Bayard of Delaware announced he no longer supported Burr

The Election of 1800

• 12th Amendment passed to eliminate problem again

• Electors cast separate vote for President and Vice President

• Election of 1800, Showed the world that the American republic could withstand political change

• Federalists step down and allow the Republicans to take over

Daily Quiz

Why was Jefferson not automatically named President after he won the popular vote in

1800?

• Jefferson did not have a majority of electoral college votes.

The election of 1800 showed both Americans and Europeans that

• political power could be transferred peacefully.

Which laws allowed the President to jail any alien considered undesirable?

Alien and Sedition

Acts

Name the incident in which the French demanded $250,000 to

speak with their foreign minister.

XYZ Affair