Warm-up #2

Discuss the difficult foreign policy issues that John Adams faced as President. Discuss the
difficult domestic issues that John Adam faced as President. Did this have an impact on the
election of 1800?

1789 - The French Revolution began

1791 - 1st Constitution limited Money
1792 - Republic
1793-1794 - Reign of Terror
1794 - Jay’s Treaty
1795 - Directory
1796 - Adams Elected
1797 - John Adams comes into office
1799 - Napoleon overthrows the French Directory
1800 - Election Adams v. Jefferson

The French were angry that we signed Jay's treaty (to avoid war) and sided with the British since
they fought for us during the Revolutionary War. To display their anger they seized ships and
threatened diplomats (250,000 to see the Foreign Affairs person and a loan of 10,000 for the
war) who came over to try and ease the French and American relationship. The Americans see
this as a personal front

Federalists Democratic-Republican

● Upset with France and want to go to ● Views the sedition act as

war. unconstitutional
● In preparation, John Adams put a lot
of money into naval funding and
nearly got into a war
● Pass the Alien and Sedation Acts
(Foreign Policy)
○ Alien Act: In regard to
foreigners, the government is
granted to make it harder for
immigrants (from 5 years
originally to 14) to come to
America and send them back
to their home country if they
are seen as a threat.
(Federalists were fine with
 this)
○ Sedation Act: prohibits
speaking ill of or questioning
the government and could
send you to jail for doing so,
which takes away the first
amendment right (freedom of
speech)
○ John Adams was completely
against the Federalists who
wanted to go to war because
America was still a new
country and he believed they
were not ready to go and fight
(IT WAS NOT IN OUR BEST
INTEREST HE BELIEVED). This
led him to be butting heads
with none other than the
Federalist Hamilton. John
Adams then went to try and
make peace with France and
alienated himself from the
Federalist Party. Adams is
aware that this will ruin his
political career.
○

John Adams was completely against the Federalists who wanted to go to war because America
was still a new country and he believed they were not ready to go and fight (IT WAS NOT IN
OUR BEST INTEREST HE BELIEVED). This led him to be butting heads with non other than the
Federalist Hamilton. John Adams then went to try and make peace with France and alienated
himself from the Federalist Party. Adams is aware that this will ruin his political career.