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“Second President”

In March 1797, John Adams was inaugurated as the second President of the United States. Tensions with France escalated when French forces began seizing American ships. In response, Adams dispatched diplomats to negotiate peace, but they faced direct demands for bribes from French agents, leading to the infamous "XYZ Affair." America's resolute response, "Not a sixpence!", stirred national outrage and resulted in an undeclared naval war with France for three years. The controversy further culminated in the Alien and Sedition Acts, which restricted citizenship and curtailed free speech.

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“Second President”

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  1. “Second President” John Adams was inaugurated in March of 1797, as the second President of the United States.

  2. In 1797, France started to seize American Ships. Adams sent diplomats to France to work out an agreement.

  3. The French foreign minister, Talleyrand did not deal directly with the American diplomats, instead he sent three agents.

  4. The three agents demanded money ($250,000) and a loan ($10,000,000) from the U.S. before they would even talk to the Americans.

  5. The American response was: “Not a sixpence!” The diplomats informed Adams of what happened and called them X, Y, and Z.

  6. The “XYZ Affair” caused an undeclared war at sea with the French for the next three years. “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute.”

  7. In 1798, the Alien and Sedition acts were passed making it harder to become an American citizen, and illegal to criticize the government or its officials.

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