2Nd President of the United States (1797-1801)

PR2

John Adams

At a Glance

2nd President of the United States (1797-1801)

Born: October 30, 1735, North Precinct of Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts

Nickname: "Atlas of Independence"

Formal Education:HarvardCollege (graduated 1755)

Religion: Unitarian

Career: Lawyer

Marriage: October 25, 1764, to Abigail Smith (1744-1818)

Children: Abigail Amelia (1765-1813), John Quincy (1767-1848), Susanna (1768-1770), Charles (1770-1800), Thomas Boylston (1772-1832)

Political Party: Federalist

Writings:The Works of John Adams, The Adams-Jefferson Letters, Diary and Autobiography, The Papers of John Adams, The Political Writings of John Adams

Died: July 4, 1826, in Quincy, Massachusetts(exactly fifty years to the day from the signing of the Declaration of Independence and on the same day as Thomas Jefferson)

Buried:Quincy, Massachusettsexactly fifty years to the day from the signing of the Declaration of Independence and on the same day as John Adams)

Presidential Life in Brief: In the early days of the American electoral process, the candidate receiving the second-largest vote in the electoral college became vice president. This is how Thomas Jefferson, who opposed Adams in the election, came to serve as Adams's vice president in 1797. Adams won the election principally because he identified himself with Washington's administration and because he was able to win two electoral ballots from normally secure Jeffersonian states. In 1800, Adams faced a much tougher battle for reelection, as the differences between the Federalists and the Republicans intensified -- by that time, the terms "Democratic-Republican" and "Republican" were used interchangeably.
The Adams presidency was characterized by continuing crises in foreign policy, which dramatically affected affairs at home. Suspicious of the French Revolution and its potential for terror and anarchy, Adams opposed close ties with France. Relations between America and France deteriorated to the brink of war, allowing Adams to justify his signing of the extremely controversial Alien and Sedition Acts. Drafted by Federalist lawmakers, these four laws were largely aimed at immigrants, who tended to become Republicans. Furious over Adams's foreign policy and his signing of the Alien and Sedition Acts, Republicans responded with the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which challenged the legitimacy of federal authority over the states.
Republicans were equally incensed by the heavy taxation necessary for Adams's military buildup; farmers in Pennsylvania staged Fries's Rebellion in protest. At the same time, Adams faced disunity in his own party due to conflict with Hamilton over the undeclared naval war with France. This rivalry with Hamilton and the Federalist Party cost Adams the 1800 election. He lost to Thomas Jefferson, who was backed by the united and far more organized Republicans.

Memorable Moments

1. The First Party systemof The United States, which featured the Federalist Party and the Democratic - Republican Party, happened with the emergence of John Adams as president. The Federalist Party grew from Washington's Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, who favored a strong central government. The Democratic-Republican Party was founded by James Madison and by Washington's Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, who strongly opposed Hamilton's agenda. Adams was the first president to officially align himself with a political party, the Federalists.
2. The XYZ Affair is a foreign diplomatic event that weakened relations between France and the United States and led to an undeclared naval war called the Quasi War which took place from March of 1797 to 1800. In an attempt for personal gain, French diplomats demanded major concessions from the United States for continued peace (all the while the French, who were in turmoil with England, seized nearly 300 American ships bound for British ports). The U.S., who established peace with Britain under the Jay Treaty, was infuriated. President Adams released the report of the affair resulting in a wave of passionate anti-French sentiment across the U.S. A formal declaration of war was narrowly avoided by Adams' diplomacy. Regardless of the lack of a formal declaration of war, hostilities continued until a treaty was made. During the treaty negotiations with France, the U.S. began to build up its navy, a move long supported by Adams and Marshall, to defend against both the French and the British. In addition, in a speech delivered on July 16, 1797, Adams championed the formulation of a navy and army while emphasizing the importance of renewing certain treaties with other world powers.
3. The Alien and Sedition Acts were four bills passed in 1798 and signed into law by President Adams while the U.S. waging an undeclared naval war with France. Those in favor of the laws claimed the acts were designed to protect the United States from alien citizens of enemy powers and to stop seditious attacks from weakening the government. Opponents, and later historians, attacked them as being both unconstitutional and designed to stop criticism of the administration, and as infringing on the right of the states to act in these areas. They became a major political issue in the election of 1800.
4. Jefferson defeated Adams in the Election of 1800 (one of the most famous in U.S. history). Although the defeat of Adams was simple enough, at the time, members of the Electoral College could only vote for President; each elector could vote for two candidates, and the Vice President was the person who received the second largest number of votes during the election. In an unintentional move the votes for Jefferson and his intended vice president, Aaron Burr ended in a tie. The election was then put into the hands of the outgoing House of Representatives. Because of political differences, many disliked Jefferson and therefore created a deadlock on the issue. Eventually a decision was reached and Jefferson won, but the exposed flaw of the system was changed with the addition of the 12th amendment stipulating that electors make a distinct choice between their selections for President and Vice President.