Transcript Alien Enemies Law

The Struggle Over Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy Issues
• Jay’s Treaty
• Chief Justice John Jay
sent to London to
negotiate a number of
disagreements left
from the
Revolutionary War
Foreign Policy Issues
• Wanted removal of
British forces in US
• Payment for ships
taken in the West
Indies
• Accept American
definition of neutrality
Foreign Policy Issues
• British agreed to leave the
forts and some small ship
alone
• Rejected the US position on
neutral rights
• Will continue to search
American ships on the high
seas
Washington Says Farewell
• September 1796
• Washington warned against all political
factions
• Avoid making permanent alliances with
distant nations that had no intention in
promoting American security
The Election of 1796
• Washington completes
his second term and
announced he would
not seek a third term
The Election of 1796
• Jefferson (Republican)
and
• Adams (Federalists)
run for Pres
The Election of 1796
• John Adams won the
election, with
Jefferson to serve as
his Vice President
John Adams as President
• 61 years old
• Harvard educated
lawyer
• Short, bald,
overweight, and vain
• “His Rotundity”
John Adams as President
• Adam’s first issue as
President was the
interference of
American shipping by
French naval vessels
• An American
delegation was sent to
Paris
The XYZ Affair
• The French, postponed
official negotiations.
• Meanwhile, three
French emissaries
(known later simply as
X, Y, and Z)
demanded that the
Americans pay a bribe
of $250,000 and
provide a $10 million
loan.
The XYZ Affair
• Adams recalled his
delegation and
condemn the French
government
The XYZ Affair
• The Federalist-controlled Congress prepared for
war by authorizing a 20,000 man army and
calling George Washington out of retirement as
commander in chief
• During the winter of 1798, an undeclared naval
war took place between France and the United
States.
The Alien and Sedition Acts
• Federalist dominated
Congress passed the
Alien and Sedition
Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts
• Alien Enemies Law:
gave the president the
power to imprison or
deport any foreigner
believed to be
dangerous to the
United States
The Alien and Sedition Acts
• Alien Law: made it a
crime to attack the
government with
"false, scandalous, or
malicious" statements
or writings.
The Alien and Sedition Acts
• Naturalization Law:
lengthened the period
necessary before
immigrants could
become citizens from
5 to 14 years
The Alien and Sedition Acts
• Federalist prosecutors
used the Sedition Act
to convict ten editors
and printers.
Virginia and Kentucky
Resolutions
• Kentucky and Virginia
adopted resolutions
written by Thomas
Jefferson and James
Madison denouncing the
Alien and Sedition Acts
• Kentucky Resolutions
declared the federal
government had violated
the Bill of Rights
Virginia and Kentucky
Resolutions
• Virginia Resolution
• Advanced the idea
that the states had a
right to declare
federal laws null and
void
• Election of 1800
would decide this…
Death George Washington
• December 13th, 1799
George Washington
woke his wife,
complaining of severe
pain
• Over the course of that
day doctors attempted
to ease the pain of the
former president
Death George Washington
• December 14th, 1799 the former president died
• Richard Henry Lee delivered the most famous
eulogy
• Proclaimed Washington was “First in war, first in
peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen”
The Election of 1800
• Candidates
• Thomas Jefferson,
Republican vs. John
Adams, Federalist
The Election of 1800
• Jefferson defeated
Adams by 8 electoral
votes, so did Aaron
Burr (Jefferson’s
running mate)
• House of
Representatives called
on to settle tie
• Took 6 days and 35
ballots
The Election of 1800
• Alexander Hamilton intervened, persuaded
Federalists to cast votes for Jefferson
• Hamilton thought Jefferson was more qualified to
lead than Burr
The Election of 1800
• 36 ballot Rep James
Bayard of Delaware
announced he no
longer supported Burr
The Election of 1800
• 12th Amendment passed to eliminate problem
again
• Electors cast separate vote for President and
Vice President
• Election of 1800, Showed the world that the
American republic could withstand political
change
• Federalists step down and allow the
Republicans to take over
Daily Quiz
Why was Jefferson not
automatically named President
after he won the popular vote in
1800?
• Jefferson did not have a majority of
electoral college votes.
The election of 1800 showed both
Americans and Europeans that
• political power could be transferred
peacefully.
Which laws allowed the
President to jail any alien
considered undesirable?
Alien and
Sedition
Acts
Name the incident in which the
French demanded $250,000 to
speak with their foreign minister.
XYZ Affair