1797 - 1801

The First Political PartiesCauses

Different philosophies of government

Conflicting interpretations of the Constitution

Different economic & regional interests

Disagreement over foreign affairs

Hamilton v JeffersonFederalists Democratic -

RepublicansLed by Alexander HamiltonRule by wealthy classStrong federal governmentEmphasis on

manufacturingLoose interpretation of the

ConstitutionBritish allianceNational bankProtective tariffs

Led by Thomas JeffersonRule by the peopleStrong state

governmentsEmphasis on farmingStrict interpretation of

the ConstitutionFrench allianceState banksFree trade

John Adams - FederalistJohn Adams

(Federalist) elected President

Thomas Jefferson (Democratic-Republican) elected Vice-President

XYZ AffairFrance was seizing American

ships that did business with Great Britain

Adams sends delegation to France to negotiate an end to the dispute

French foreign minister Charles de Talleyrand demands a bribe before meeting with the American delegation

4. America refuses & "Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute“ becomes the rallying cry as we begin to prepare for war.

Federalists hoped to benefit from anti-French sentiment, but Adams refused to rush into war simply for political gain & sends another delegation to France to try again.

1800 - America & France sign a treaty putting an end to the threat of war

Alien & Sedition Acts (1798) passed by the Federalist controlled

Congress to strengthen the federal government and silence Republican opposition to their party Alien Acts - allowed the president to

imprison aliens (immigrants), or send those he considered dangerous out of the country

Sedition Act - made it illegal to speak, write, or publish "false, scandalous, & malicious" criticism of the government.

States respond by passing the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions claiming that: the acts could not be put into action

because they violated the Constitution

Kentucky's resolution also suggested states might nullify federal laws they considered unconstitutional. This is one of the 1st examples of the doctrine of state's rights.

Works Cited"Conflicts and Resolutions of 1797-1798." America's Early

Years: America in a Changing World. Web. 24 Jan 2011. <http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=E4A36148-0166-4ED9-9FC7-A37F3C249D81&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US>.

"John Adams." Wikimedia Commons. Web. 24 Jan 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_Navy_031029-N-6236G-001_A_painting_of_President_John_Adams_(1735-1826),_2nd_president_of_the_United_States,_by_Asher_B._Durand_(1767-1845)-crop.jpg>.

"Response to the Alien & Sedition Acts." Just the Facts: Documents of Destiny: Growth of a New Nation. Web. 24 Jan 2011. <http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=5243E500-7FCB-4FA2-AA07-DF345A4F5A22&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US>.