John Adams: Second President of the U.S.

John Adams' Background

• John Adams served as the second president, from 1797 to 1801
• He was George Washington's Vice President
• Adams was a Federalist from Massachusetts
• Adams was highly qualified, having been educated at Harvard and worked as a lawyer
• He persuaded Washington to be the general and Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence
• He worked as a diplomat to England
• Despite his qualifications, he wasn't considered a great president, possibly due to spending too much time in England, which led to him becoming vain and adopting British customs
• Adams, like Hamilton, believed only the educated should govern and distrusted the common people, and he was wary of democracy
• Ben Franklin described Adams as honest and wise, but occasionally out of his senses

The Executive Mansion

• John Adams was the first president to reside in the Executive Mansion (later known as the White House)
• At the time, the Federal City was still under construction, and Adams got lost trying to find the mansion in the woods
• Despite the surrounding woods, there was insufficient wood for the fireplaces, and Adams, who opposed slavery, struggled to find laborers to cut wood
• The house was damp and cold
• Adams spent more time in Massachusetts than in Washington, D.C
• For example, Adams spent 385 days away in 4 years

Washington's Death

• George Washington died in 1799 after falling ill after a ride
• Attempts to heal him by bleeding him were unsuccessful
• Washington's last words were, "I die hard, but I am not afraid to go"
• His death shocked and grieved Americans
• Richard Henry Lee said, "Washington was first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen"
• After his death, the Federal City was named Washington, D.C.

Alien and Sedition Acts

• John Adams considered keeping the U.S. out of war his most important accomplishment
• When France and England fought, the U.S. remained neutral, angering the French, who then captured U.S. ships
• In 1798, Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts as a result

The Alien Act

• The Alien Act made it harder for foreigners to become U.S. citizens
• It targeted French immigrants fleeing the French Revolution, who were often Catholic
• Many of these immigrants joined the Democratic-Republicans, while the Federalists favored England
• The Alien Act sought to weaken the Democratic-Republicans

The Sedition Act

• The Sedition Act criminalized criticizing the government
• It was enacted because some people accused Adams of acting like a king, even calling him "His Rotundity"
• This act prevented Democratic-Republicans from speaking out against Adams
• The Sedition Act sought to weaken the Democratic-Republicans

Unconstitutionality

• The Sedition Act was considered unconstitutional as it violated the First Amendment's guarantees of freedom of speech and the press
• The Supreme Court was too weak to intervene at the time

First Inauguration

• George Washington was unanimously elected as the first president at 57 years old
• He was reluctant to leave his home at Mount Vernon
• Out of a sense of duty, he accepted the presidency
• It took him eight days to travel 235 miles to New York City
• Each town greeted Washington with parades, bonfires, fireworks, speeches, and more
• Near Philly, he switched from a carriage to a white horse
• In NYC, he arrived via a barge decorated with streamers and amid ringing church bells, cannons, and cheering crowds
• On April 30, 1789, Washington wore a plain brown suit made of American cloth
• On the balcony of Federal Hall, he bowed to the crowd, put his hand on his heart, and swore to "Preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the US"
• Afterwards, he and Congress walked to St. Paul's Church to pray for guidance

First President

• George Washington had no precedent for his role
• He understood that his actions would set a standard for future presidents
• He said, "I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent"
• He aimed to earn the respect and admiration for the president
• Washington rode in a yellow carriage pulled by six white horses with meticulously groomed coats, hooves, and teeth
• At official receptions, he wore velvet knee breeches, yellow gloves, silver-buckled shoes, and a dress sword

First Cabinet

• As head of the executive branch, Washington appointed advisors known as the Cabinet
• Cabinet appointments included:
  • Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State
  • Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury
  • Henry Knox as Secretary of War
  • Edmund Randolph as Attorney General
  • Samuel Osgood as Postmaster General
• Congressman James Madison aided Washington with his speeches
• Madison also wrote speeches for Congress
• Vice President John Adams also advised Washington
• The federal government consisted of only 350 people, just over 100 more than at Mount Vernon

First Cencus

• The first census occurred in 1790, starting a tradition of doing so every 10 years
• The census counted 4 million people, including 700,000 slaves, but excluded Native Americans
• Benjamin Franklin died in 1790 and was not counted in the census
• 95% of the population lived on farms
• Roughly 1 million people lived in the frontier
• Port cities were the main cities
• America had a higher birth rate and lower death rate than England
• The healthy environment contributed to high population growth
• For almost a century, the U.S. population doubled every 24 years
• The population was 4 million in 1790 and 63 million in 1890