John Adam's, and Thomas Jefferson's presidency

JOHN ADAMS

Was the first vice president under Washington

Member of the Federalist party

Became the second president in 1796

Served one term

Defeated by Thomas Jefferson in the election of 1800

XYZ AFFAIR

France began seizing American ships and asked for a bribe which the U.S refused.

War with France became likely during Adams’ presidency but was prevented.

ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS

Passed while Adams was president

President Adams wanted to restrict the newspapers from being too critical of the government. The government also wanted to control aliens, or citizens of a foreign country living in the United States.

One law raised the waiting period to become a citizen from 5 years to 14 years.

 Another law said that citizens of an enemy country living in the United States could be imprisoned or deported (thrown out of the country) during wartime. 

The third law said that the president could deport any alien he considered dangerous. 

The sedition Act banned the publishing of false or malicious writings about the U.S. government.

The laws were very unpopular with the public.

Many argued that the Sedition Act was against the first Amendment.

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison declared that the states had the power to decide if a national law was valid. 

Congress repealed (took away) one of the laws in 1802, and two others were allowed to expire.

The law that allows citizens of enemy countries to be imprisoned or deported during wartime is still in effect.

THOMAS JEFFERSON

Third president of the United States

Served two terms

Defeated John Adams in the 1800 election

Member of the Democratic-Republican party

Strict interpretation of the Constitution

FEDERALISTS

Strong federal government

Wanted a national bank

Favored Britain over France

Wanted to see growth of cities and trade become the basis of the economy

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICANS

Wanted weak central government

States should make more decisions for themselves

Favored France over England

Wanted the economy to be dominated by farming.

LOUISIANA PURCHASE

With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the United States acquired a large area of land from the French. It was the single largest purchase of land ever by the United States and doubled the size of the country.

People needed more land and the obvious place to expand was to the west.

The Louisiana Purchase was huge. It totaled 828,000 square miles and all or part of what would later become 15 different states. It doubled the size of the United States and made it a major world nation.

At the time, many leaders in the United States were against the Louisiana Purchase. They thought that Thomas Jefferson didn't have the right to make such a large purchase of land. 

It went against Jefferson’s own beliefs of a strict interpretation of the Constitution.

LEWIS AND CLARK

Goals of the expedition: 

1. Find an all water route to the Pacific ocean

2. Establish relationships and open up trade with the native Americans

 3. Collect information on the land, animals and plants in the territory 

4. Create maps 

5. Record a detailed account of what they found 

Fall 1805-reached the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.

Results: 

-scientific information 

-reports from the West 

-accurate maps of the territory 

-no all water route across the country