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The Presidency of John Adams. Chapter 4.4. Trouble with France. The French were angered by U.S. neutrality a. They believed the U.S. owed them b. Jay’s Treaty made it look like the U.S. was siding with Britain
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The Presidency of John Adams Chapter 4.4
Trouble with France • The French were angered by U.S. neutrality a. They believed the U.S. owed them b. Jay’s Treaty made it look like the U.S. was siding with Britain • In 1797, the XYZ Affair occurred when the French government demanded a $250,000 bribe and millions of dollars in loans just to begin negotiating a treaty • Federalists demanded that Adams ask Congress to declare war a. Adams opposed war, but asked Congress to increase the size of the army and rebuild the navy
The Alien and Sedition Acts • Federalists distrusted aliens and Republicans • The Alien Act increased the length of time for naturalization from 5 to 14 years, and allowed the president to deport any aliens he considered dangerous. • The SeditionAct targeted Republicans and made it a crime to criticize the President or Congress
States’ Rights • In response, Republicans Thomas Jefferson and James Madison wrote the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions denouncing the acts as being unconstitutional • They claimed states could nullify (deprive of legal force) laws passed by Congress which violated the Constitution • They also boasted the idea of states’ rights: States should have the right to overrule Federal law
