Transcript The birth of political Parties: Adams and jefferson

THE BIRTH OF POLITICAL
PARTIES: ADAMS AND JEFFERSON
By: Edwin Sanabria, Jenifer Reyes
QUESTION
Explain the growing split between the Federalist and DemocraticRepublican parties, including how the personal differences
between Hamilton, Adams, and Jefferson affected American
politics.
TWO PARTIES EMERGE
• The election of 1796 was the first election in American history where
political candidates at the state and national level started to run for office.
• Federalist of 1796 attached themselves to the successful campaign in favor
of the Constitution and were solid supporters of the federal
administration.
• Washington denounced parties as a horrid threat to the republic, his vice
president John Adams in fact became presidential candidate of the
Federalists.
• While the Democratic-Republicans were more diverse, the Federalists were
wealthier and had more prestige, especially by association with the retired
Washington.
• According to one Republican-minded New York newspaper, the
Federalists were "aristocrats” and Republicans “were” the real supporters
of independence, friends to equal rights, and warm advocates of free
elective government."
JOHN ADAM’S DIFFICULT
PRESIDENCY
• The election in 1796 made Jon Adams president. (an odd one)
• Most federalist supported Thomas Pinckney of South Carolina for vice
president and a few including Hamilton tried to maneuver him into
presidency.
• Thomas Jefferson was the logical candidate of the DemocraticRepublicans
• Hamilton had shifted too much power to the federal governments and to
the urban economic of New York and Philadelphia.
• Federalist said that Jefferson was an atheist and that he was a friend of the
radical French revolutionaries and a danger to democracy.
• Adams was a Federalist. Jefferson, the vice-president, was a DemocraticRepublican.
CONTINUATION …
• Washington wanted to warn his country “against the baneful effects of the
spirit of party generally.”
• Around 1796 people took this speech as “vote for Adams not Jefferson”
• Although Washington would never say so directly, he wanted his vice
president to be his successor. (he got his wish)
• Adams received 71 electoral votes, all from New England, New York and
New Jersey while Jefferson received 68, all from southern states and
Pennsylvania
• These two long time political rivals became president and vice president.
THE SPLIT
• “The split between the Federalists and DemocraticRepublicans went too deep for soothing words to heal.”
• In January 1798 at congress Mathew Lyon, a democraticrepublican, ridiculed the ceremonial greeting for President
Adams and insulted in Federalist Roger Gris wolf insulted
Lyon who spat in Griswold’s face. The Griswold attacked Lyon
with his cane. Etc (This symbolized the hatred between the
two political parties)
• “Nothing however represented the split between the two
factions as much as their attitude toward the French
revolution.
XYZ AFFAIR
• The XYZ Affair was a diplomatic incident in 1798 in which
Americans were outraged by the demand of the French for a
bribe as a condition for negotiating with American diplomas.
• Congress and the American public in March 1798, Adams’s
popularity soared, and many called a war against France to
avenge U.S honor.
• * Congress voted to increase the size of the U.S Army and
shift its focus
QUASI-WAR
• An undecided war – 1797 to 1800- between the United States
to France.
• During 1798 and 1799, though there was no formal declaration
of war, the United States engaged in what became known as
the Quasi-War with France or as Adams called it “Half-War.”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo4FPrzd3SE
ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS
• A series of three acts passed by congress in 1798 that made it harder for
new immigrants to vote and made it a crime to criticize the presidents or
Congress.
• Congress passed the Naturalization Act and the Alien Friends Act in June
1798, which were referred to as the Alien Acts.
• These laws lengthened the time to qualify for zitizensip from 5 to 14 years
just to ensure tat pro-French immigrants could not vote and deport anyone
deemed dangerous to the United states.
• But many French citizens left the United states on their own.
• On July 14,1798 congress passed Sedition act by a slim majority and
Adams signed the law.
KENTUCKY AND VIRGINIA
RESOLUTION
• Resolutions written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison that
criticized the Alien and Sedition Acts and asserted the rights of
states to declare federal law null and void within a state.
• This was proposed to the Kentucky Legislature and adopted in
November 10, 1798 as a protest against the Alien and Sedition Acts
passed by congress.
• The Virginia resolution was adopted by the Virginia senate on
December 24, 1798 as a protest against the Alien and Sedition Acts
passed by Congress.
• The southern states ignored the resolutions and northern states
attacked Virginia and Kentucky for criticizing the national
government.
THE ELECTION OF 1800
“THE REVOLUTION OF 1800”
•
•
The political differences between the two leading candidates for president in 1800,
President John Adams and vice president Thomas Jefferson could not have been
clearer.
During this time political parties had been informal alliances of like-minded
individuals.
In December 1799, just as the elections of 1800 was starting, the news of George
Washington had died.
When the Democratic-Republican met on May 11, 1800, it was clear that Jefferson
would be their nominee for president.
But the democratic-republicans wanted someone who would help them win New
York which they saw they key to the White House (the man who deliver New York
votes was Aaron Burr).
Democratic-Republicans paper asked people to choose between, “Peace or war,
happiness or misery, opulence or ruin!”
The Sedition Act made direct attacks on President Adams. (dangerous)
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDue_xIphv0
•
•
•
•
•
CONTINUATION …
• Slaves could not vote, but this became an issue in 1800.
• Gabriel Prosser and Jack Bowler were slaves on a Virginia plantation, they
were planning a slave uprising, over 1,000 slaves were involved.
• The uprising was set for August 30, but governor James Monroe
discovered the plan and called the state militia. (the leaders were tried and
executed)
• * Adams hated slavery, but Pinckney was one of the largest slave owners in
South Carolina. Jefferson and Burr owned slaves, but Jefferson had written
in opposition to slavery.
• Governor Monroe and Jefferson feared that too many slave executions
would start.
CONTINUATION
• Because republicans had been so well organized, Jefferson and Burr both
received 73 electoral votes; But because both Jefferson and Burr received
73 votes, the House of Representatives would have decide between the two
candidates.
• On February 17, Jefferson was elected president by a vote of 10 state
delegations. Burr Became vice president.
SUMMARY
• George Washington was elected unanimously as the first president of the
United States.
• Alexander Hamilton, the secretary of treasury was an especially forceful
advocate of a strong and activist central government. Who agreed with this
position came to be known as the Federalists.
• Hamilton convinced Congress to pass import taxes to pay off the
Revolutionary War debts.
• James Madison authored amendments to Constitution that became the Bill
of Rights.
• The French Revolution began just as Washington was taking office, but it
was during the second term that it dominated the administration interest.