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Two Presidential Let-downs. John Adams. Born in 1735 in Massachusetts Actively involved in the Independence movement. Served as a diplomat to France after the war. In the presidential election of 1789, Washington was overwhelmingly elected President.
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John Adams • Born in 1735 in Massachusetts • Actively involved in the Independence movement. • Served as a diplomat to France after the war.
In the presidential election of 1789, Washington was overwhelmingly elected President. • Adams, with the second most votes, became the vice-president.
Adams served as vice-president from 1789-1797. • Washington almost never consulted Adams on anything.
About the job as Vice-President, Adams said “This is the most unimportant position humans ever made.”
The XYZ Affair • In the time after the American Revolution, relations between France and America had worsened.
(Oops…) • France was going through a revolution (which the Americans were greatly responsible for starting).
The French being… well… French… deliberately refused to meet with the Americans unless they paid a huge bribe to three French officials.
This refusal to meet made relations with France even worse… to the point where we nearly went to war.
The Alien and Sedition Acts • Anti-French feelings were very high in America in 1798.
Congress passed the Alien Act which increased the number of years required to be a citizen from five to fourteen.
The president was also given the power to deport anyone deemed, “dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States." • Ex – French people
The Sedition Act made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or its officials.
This was a slap in the face to the first amendment’s freedom of the press and freedom of speech. OUCH!
The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions • Many people naturally disliked the Alien and Sedition Acts. • They thought it was expanding the power of the Federal government too much and interfering with the states.
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison (yes, him again) wrote these two documents, in secret, to protest.
They claimed that the Federal government couldn’t exercise powers that were not delegated to it. • If they did, the laws were illegal and the states didn’t have to follow them.
This led to the concept of nullification. • “Nullification” – when a state views a law as being unconstitutional and refuses to follow it.
Election of 1800 • John Adams was a fairly unpopular president (although much of it was congress’ fault).
He lost his bid for re-election to Thomas Jefferson (an anti-federalist).
When Jefferson took over the presidency, this marks the first time where there was a peaceful transition of power between two political parties.
John Marshall • John Marshall was the first strong chief justice of the Supreme Court (4th over all).
The Midnight Judges • The Judiciary Act of 1801 was passed by the Federalist congress after John Adams lost the election of 1800 to Thomas Jefferson.
This act allowed the president to create new judge positions.
Right before Jefferson took over the presidency, Adams gave several Federalist judges jobs.
These judges were known as the “Midnight Judges” because Adams submitted their names the night before he left office.
This weakened the power of the Anti-Federalist party who was taking over the presidency.
Marbury vs. Madison • William Marbury was one of the Federalists judges appointed by Adams.
The Senate approved the appointments, but the new president, Jefferson, ordered the Secretary of State James Madison to not send the official papers to the judges.
Jefferson hoped to delay the appointment of Federalist judges until the newly elected Anti-Federalist (or Republican) congress could overturn the Judiciary Act of 1801.
Marbury sued Madison for the right to take over his post. VS
In the Supreme Court case, Marbury won the right to take over his post.
This court case established the principle of Judicial Review. • This means that the Supreme Court has the right to review and overturn laws that the other branches pass.
The Louisiana Purchase • Napoleon took over Spain, and most of the rest of Europe, between 1800 and 1810.
The Spanish “agreed” to give the Louisiana Territory back to the French. • The French lost this land following the French and Indian War.
As America was gradually spreading west, Jefferson realized the need to have some control over the Mississippi River.
Jefferson sent James Monroe and Robert Livingston to Paris in 1803 to negotiate a treaty where the US would buy the port of New Orleans and the surrounding area.
To their surprise, the French offered not only New Orleans, but all of their remaining territory in North America.
The French were fighting a huge war in Europe against the British.
A slave revolt in Haiti, led by Toussaint L'Ouverture, was also causing problems.
The French wanted to cut their losses and make some money. =
Jefferson was a strict Constitutionalist (meaning he did not want to overstep the powers given to the President).
