Essential Question:

What events shaped the presidency

of John Adams?

• Adams succeeded Washington as president in 1796.

• Crisis: Relations with France

• President Adams sends a mission to France. This led to a scandal known as the XYZ Affair.

• French agents demanded

that America pay a large bribe.

• The Americans refused. The three French agents were anonymously known as X, Y, and Z.

• The XYZ Affair caused war fever in America.

• Adams asked Congress to increase the size of the army and rebuild the navy.

• From 1798 – 1800, the United States and France fought an undeclared naval war.

Adams opposed a full scale war with France

In 1800, Napoleon agreed to stop seizing American ships. Adams avoided a war with France.

Adams sends a mission to France to meet with dictator

Napoleon Bonaparte

The Alien Act was directed at aliens, or immigrants.

The Sedition Act targeted Republicans.

1. Increased the time from 5 to 14 years that a person had to live in the United

States before becoming a citizen.

2. Gave the president the power to deport or imprison any alien

considered dangerous.

Alien Act

H.O.T. Question! Is the United States still

involved in debates about immigration today? What

are the issues?

1. Limited Free Speech (harsh)

2. Make it a crime to say or write anything false or insulting about the

President, Congress, or the government.

Sedition Act