Download The Electoral College - USImiskinis2012-2013

The Adams Administration
Objective
• To determine how Adams kept the United
States out of a devastating conflict, but
lost his bid at reelection.
Background
• The Electoral College: the group of each
state’s electors who choose the president
of the United States.
Background
• During a Presidential Election (in most states)…
– Citizens in a state vote for their candidates of choice.
– Whichever candidate wins the most popular votes in
that state wins all of that state’s electoral votes.
– The electoral votes are cast by electors. They choose
the president based on which candidate won the most
popular votes in the state where the electors are from.
Background
• For example…
– If 51% of voters in Massachusetts voted for
Barack Obama, and 49% voted for John
McCain, Barack Obama would win ALL of
Massachusetts’ 12 electoral votes.
– When the electors are asked to cast their
votes, all 12 will vote for Barack Obama.
I. John Adams
• President: 1796-1800
– Boston lawyer, member of the Second
Continental Congress, Washington’s VP
– Short, stout, brilliant, argumentative
– Spoke longest sentence in inaugural address
ever.
– First president to ever live in the White House
– He was also a staunch Federalist
I. John Adams
• President Adams, Vice President Jefferson
– By a freak accident, Adams won the
presidency, and Jefferson won the vicepresidency (runners up used to be chosen as
vice presidents).
– Why would this constitute a problem for
Adams?
II. Domestic Affairs
• Tensions in the Adams Administration
– Adams kept all of Washington’s cabinet members,
except Hamilton (who had retired)
– However, Adams’ authority was undercut by the
retired Alexander Hamilton.
– Hamilton stayed in close contact with Adams’
advisors, leading some to believe that Hamilton was
really president!
III. Foreign Affairs
• Tensions Abroad
– After the Jay Treaty, France began to impress
more and more American sailors.
– Adams sent ambassadors to France to try
and resolve the problem.
III. Foreign Affairs
• The XYZ Affair
– However, when the American ambassadors
arrived, French officials (identified only as X,
Y and Z) would not allow them to negotiate
until the Americans had paid France a large
bribe.
– When news of this extortion broke, Americans
were enraged
• “Millions for defense, not a penny for tribute!”
III. Foreign Affairs
• France and America began an undeclared
naval war, known as the Quasi-War.
III. Foreign Affairs
• Adams stands firm
– Adams did NOT want a war
– Hamilton and most Americans DID want a war.
– Adams resisted asking Congress for a declaration of
war.
– He did cave into pressure by Hamilton and the
Federalist Congress to pass the Alien and Sedition
Acts.
III. Foreign Affairs
• The Repression of Dissent
– Alien Act: allowed Adams to deport non-citizens.
– Naturalization Act: raised citizenship requirement
from 5 to 14 years of residency.
– Sedition Act: Made any “malicious” or “false”
statements about the President punishable by fine or
imprisonment.
III. Foreign Affairs
• Public Backlash
– The American public responded harshly to these acts,
and Adams lost a great deal of popularity.
– This would lead to his defeat in the election of 1800.
– To his credit, Adams kept America from war with the
Convention of 1800.
• Adams, despite the fact he saved the US
from a war it could not win, lost the
presidency to Jefferson.