Vocabulary Terms

●	alien
●	sedition
●	nulify

Troubles With France

●	President Adams immediately had a crisis after taking office over relations with France.
●	France and England were at War.
○	France was upset over the United States’ neutrality
○	JAY’S TREATY angered the French as they say it as taking sides with England.
●	France snubbed a U.S. Diplomat in 1796
●	France continued to attack American Merchant Ships.
The XYZ Affair
●	1797, Adams sent a 3 person mission to France
●	French Agents demanded 
○	that the US pay a bribe of $250,000
○	also wanted US to loan France several million dollars
●	Americans said they would pay “not a sixpence”
○	sixpence equals six pennies
○	A slogan later came that said, “Millions for defense, but not one sixpence for tribute {a forced payment}.”  (America: History of Our Nation Textbook, p172)
War Fever
●	Federalists wanted Adams to declare war on France over the XYZ Affair
●	Adams asked Congress to increase the size of the army and rebuild the navy
○	Department of the Navy was created
○	The US fought an undeclared naval war with France
●	A new mission to France was sent to prevent a full out war
○	Napoleon Bonaparte, France’s Dictator, was at war elsewhere in Europe
○	Bonaparte agreed to stop seizing US ships
●	Adams prevented war but the Federalists, pro-Hamilton group, were not happy and this weakened Adams in the political arena
The Alien and Sedition Acts

Federalist and Republicans separated even more over the war issue with France.

Federalists believed that people from the now post France Revolution would side with the Republicans against the Federalists.

Alien Act (1798) - increased the time from 5 to 14 years before an immigrant could become a US Citizen. President could deport any alien considered dangerous.

Sedition Act (1798) - it made it a crime to say or write anything that was insulting or false about the President, Congress or the government in general. 
●	10 People were convicted during the two year period of 1798 to 1799
○	Mostly Republican editors or printers

States’ Rights
Republican’s denounced the Alien and Sedition Acts. They stated the Sedition Act was a violation of the Constitution's First Amendment Right (Freedom of Speech).

James Madison and Thomas Jefferson led a campaign against the Acts. They helped pass State Laws in Virginia and Kentucky against them.

The State laws had little value and eventually, the Sedition Act expired in 1801 and the time for Citizenship returned to 5 years in 1802.

This step by Virginia and Kentucky led the way for states to nullify a law passed by Congress. The resolutions boosted the idea of states’ rights. This is where southern states build a foundation for slavery in the south.