John Adams - President of the United States (1797-1801) PDF

John Adams President of the United States: 1797-1801 Global Consequences of the French Revolution Following the Citizen Genet Affair, Washington pursued a policy of neutrality, peace, and trade with England Hamilton set most of the policy British warships began seizing American me...

John Adams President of the United States: 1797-1801 Global Consequences of the French Revolution Following the Citizen Genet Affair, Washington pursued a policy of neutrality, peace, and trade with England Hamilton set most of the policy British warships began seizing American merchant ships trading with the French in 1793 – Jefferson called for war Jay Treaty of 1794 Primarily resolved issues and violations of the 1783 Treaty of Paris Great Britain removed troops from 8 forts in the Great Lakes and upstate New York areas US-Canada border was finalized in NY and VT Natives were allowed free access to the US and Canada Britain paid damages for seized American merchant ships Great Britain and the US entered into a mutual trade agreement Washington Says “Goodbye” Farewell Address (1796) Written with the help of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison Washington announces his retirement from public service and makes three recommendations for the long-term health of the United States 1) Don’t form political parties Political parties are natural occurrences, but gradually devolve into political tribes that place their own power and influence ahead of the stability and prosperity of the country 2) Maintain a balanced budget Unnecessary wars and unpaid expenses weaken the country over the long-term and damage the liberty and financial stability of future generations 3) Avoid foreign entanglements or permanent alliances Permanent alliances: Breed resentment with non-allied countries Can draw the US into wars that are not in the national interest Can influence American policy to place allies ahead of the national interest We were warned… Election of 1796 Adams defeated Thomas Jefferson by 3 electoral votes, and won the Electoral College by 1 vote, making the election of 1796 one of the closest in American History America’s handling of the French Revolution was the primary issue Adams was accused of being pro-Monarchy, pro-British, and pro-Aristocracy Jefferson was accused of being a coward during the Revolution, and a puppet to the French Adams and Jefferson did not directly campaign – all election shenanigans was led by political parties XYZ Affair The French openly supported Jefferson’s candidacy in protest to the Jay Treaty, and were openly hostile to Adams after his victory In 1796, French warships began seizing American merchant ships trading with Great Britain Adams wanted to maintain peace and neutrality with France, and sent 3 diplomats to Paris in October 1797 to negotiate a settlement and compensation for French raids The French peace delegation forced the American diplomats to wait several days before they were granted a 15 minute meeting with French Foreign Minister Charles-Maurice Tallyrand Prior to the meeting, three of Tallyrand’s agents demanded enormous bribes for themselves and Tallyrand before the meeting could move forward The American diplomats cancelled the meeting and returned to the US Quasi-War 1798-1800 The American public was outraged over the bribery attempt “Millions for defense, not one cent in tribute!” Adams authorized the newly constructed US Navy (built in 1794) to begin raiding French shipping in retaliation for French raids and the XYZ Affair George Washington briefly reentered public life to help organize an army at the request of John Adams No war was formally declared, and fighting was restricted to the Caribbean Sea and just off the US coastline Democratic-Republicans feared that an official war would draw the US into an alliance with Great Britain The US Navy (only 18 warships) scored several high profile victories, sinking or capturing 4 French warships and over 100 privateers In 1800, Napoleon’s government agreed to a negotiated settlement, ending hostilities News of the settlement did not reach the US until after Adams was defeated in the Election of 1800 US Navy’s first Post-Revolution victory USS Constellation vs. L’Insurgente, Feb 9 1799 After nearly 2 hours of fighting, L’Insurgent struck her colors and surrendered Both ships suffered heavy physical damage from the battle L’Insurgent lost 70 men out of a crew of 409 USS Constellation lost 3 men out of a crew of 309 American frigates developed a reputation for being heavily armored and hard hitting USS Insurgent was lost at sea with all hands during a storm Sept 20 1800 Internal Issues Adams retained Washington’s cabinet in the name of continuity, though he was seen by the Hamiltonians as insufficiently committed to the Federalist platform Adams would eventually fire Hamilton’s cabinet lackeys in 1800 Jefferson remarked that the Federalists in the cabinet were almost as hostile towards Adams as they were towards him Adams tried to have Jefferson serve as a major advisor – particularly during the XYZ Affair – but politicking from both parties prevented that from ever happening Alien and Sedition Acts (1798) In response to continuing hostilities with France, Federalists in the Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 1) President is authorized to deport any non-citizen he deemed to be a national security threat 2) President can arrest, relocate, or deport any male aged 14 or older who came from a foreign enemy country (still in effect today) 3) Lengthened the naturalization process from 5 to 14 years, primarily to keep French immigrants from swaying elections 4) Criminalized malicious or false statements made about the Federal Government – this act was weaponized against Jefferson’s allies Adams never truly supported the acts, but signed them into law anyway 1) He had been personally attacked by the Jeffersonians since 1796 2) The Acts were initially popular among voters as retaliation for the XYZ Affair After the Election of 1800, Democratic-Republicans weaponized the Alien and Sedition Acts against Federalists Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (on the Road to Civil War) The Sedition Act was clearly unconstitutional, but legal challenges would take years for the courts to strike it down Thomas Jefferson and James Madison secretly wrote resolutions for the states of Kentucky and Virginia against the Alien and Sedition Acts The Resolutions were not legally binding, but they had a major impact on how Americans and American states saw the Federal Government and the US Constitution 1) The Constitution is a contract between the Federal Government and the individual states 2) If the Federal Government passes an unconstitutional law, the states have the power to nullify that law 3) If the Federal Government persists in unconstitutional behavior, the states are therefore impowered to interpose on behalf of their citizens 4) In extreme conditions, interposition may result in the Constitutional contract being declared null and void, and the interposing state(s) are free to leave the Union Continued The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions are called “The Principles of ‘98” George Washington strongly denounced the resolutions The Principles of ‘98 were cited during: The Nullification Crisis of 1832 The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 The Secession Crisis of 1860 The US Civil War Reconstruction Passing of the Jim Crow Laws Opposition to desegregation and the Civil Rights Acts Fries’ Rebellion To pay for the Quasi War, Adams and the Federalists imposed the first direct tax in US History – a progressive property tax that topped out at 1% John Fries, a Revolutionary War veteran of German descent, and a soldier who helped put down the Whiskey Rebellion, led a rebellion against the tax policy in Eastern Pennsylvania The rebellion was bloodless, but the Federalists used their allies in the press to turn it into a major domestic crisis (at least on paper) Adams ordered Alexander Hamilton to lead the army into the region to suppress the rebellion Fries and two others were found guilty of treason and sentenced to death, but Adams pardoned them and then granted amnesty to all involved Adams saw Fries and his followers as poor farmers who were being used as political pawns German-Americans abandoned the Federalist Party Legacy "He means well for his country, is always an honest man, often a wise one, but sometimes, and in some things, absolutely out of his senses.” – Benjamin Franklin "Adams was ridiculously vain, absurdly jealous, embarrassingly hungry for compliments. But no man ever served his country more selflessly.” – Edmund Morgan “I refused to suffer in silence. I sighed, sobbed, and groaned, and sometimes screeched and screamed. And I must confess to my shame and sorrow that I sometimes swore.” – John Adams “Thanks to God that he gave me stubbornness when I know I am right.” – John Adams  “In 1796 Adams stood at the pinnacle of his career. Contemporaries as well as historians ever since have judged him a man of wisdom, honesty, and devotion to the national interest; at the same time, his suspicions and theories led him to fall short of attaining that full measure of greatness for which he longed and labored.... As the nation entered the severe crisis with revolutionary France, and in his attempt to steer the state between humiliating concessions and a potentially disastrous war [he] played a lone hand which left him isolated from increasingly bewildered and better Federalist leaders. His decision to renew peace negotiations after the XYZ Affair, the buildup of armaments, the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, and the appointment of Hamilton to command of the army came like an explosion in February 1799. While a majority of Americans were relieved and sympathetic, the Federalist party lay shattered in 1800 on the eve of its decisive conflict with Jeffersonian Republicanism.” – Stephen Kurtz Mr. Loero’s Thoughts John Adams is overshadowed by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson – both two term presidents with far more gravitas than Adams ever had, and arguably more consequential to the political founding of the United States. He was thin skinned, quick to anger, pig-headed, fiercely independent, and far better at making enemies than making friends. His harsh personality left him devoid of political allies when he needed them most, and his at times impulsive decisions put him in situations far more difficult than they ever should have been. That said, Adams is one of the few presidents in American history who took his position seriously, respected his authority, and willingly sacrificed his career for the good of his country. His handling of the XYZ Affair and Quasi-War was a masterstroke of diplomacy and decisiveness that kept the US from being dragged into a devastating global war. The Alien and Sedition Acts are universally condemned, though I am not convinced that Adams was personally invested in their passage. Despite his flaws, there is zero doubt in my mind that John Adams deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest American patriots who ever lived.