Chapter 8 Section 3: The First Political Parties

Chapter 8 Section 3: The First Political Parties

I. Opposing Views (Pages 267?270)

A. Differing Views 1. Most Americans in the late 1700s considered political parties harmful and to be avoided. a. Political parties were not mentioned in the Constitution. b. Washington also denounced them. 2. By 1796 Americans were beginning to divide into opposing groups and form political parties. 3. It was natural for people to disagree about issues and also for people who held similar views to group together. 4. In Washington's cabinet, Hamilton and Jefferson often took opposing sides. 5. Washington was partisan also, favoring one side of an issue.

B. Political Parties Emerge 1. Two distinct political parties emerged??the Federalists and the Republicans, also called the Democratic-Republicans. 2. The Federalists generally supported policies of Alexander Hamilton. Its policies favored a. a strong federal government b. banking and shipping interests c. rule by the wealthy d. a national bank e. representative government in which elected officials ruled in the people's name f. a loose interpretation of the Constitution or implied powers g. a British alliance h. protective tariffs

3. The Republicans, or Democratic-Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, favored a. strong state governments and limited federal government powers b. emphasis on agricultural products c. rule by the people d. state banks e. government in which people participate f. a strict interpretation of the Constitution g. a French alliance h. free trade

C. Washington's Dilemma 1. By 1793 Jefferson resigned as secretary of state and in 1795 Hamilton resigned as secretary of the treasury because of their differences.

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Chapter 8 Section 3: The First Political Parties

D. The Election of 1796 1. In the 1796 presidential election, candidates were members of a political party. 2. At caucuses,or political-party meetings, members of Congress and other leaders chose their party's candidates. a. The Federalists nominated John Adams for president and Charles Pinckney for vice president. b. The Republicans nominated Thomas Jefferson for president and Aaron Burr for vice president. c. Adams won the election with 71 electoral votes; Jefferson received 68 votes. Jefferson became the vice president, because at the time, the person with the secondhighest number of electoral votes became vice president. Jefferson and Adams were of different political parties.

II. President John Adams (Pages 270?272)

John Adams served as vice president under Washington for two terms before becoming the second president of the United States. He spent most of his life in public service.

A. The XYZ Affair 1. A dispute with France over the terms of Jay's Treaty ended in an incident known as the XYZ affair. a. The French saw the treaty as the United States helping the British in the war with France, so they seized American ships carrying cargo to Britain. b. To avoid war with France, Adams sent a delegation to Paris to resolve the issue c. Charles de Talleyrand, the French foreign minister, refused to meet with the Americans and sent three agents who demanded a bribe and a United States loan for France. d. The Americans refused the terms, and when Adams heard about the incident, he referred to the three agents as X, Y, and Z.

B. Undeclared War with France 1. Adams urged Congress to prepare for war. 2. Congress strengthened the armed forces, established the Navy Department in April 1798, and allotted money to build warships. a. George Washington was appointed commanding general.

3. This undeclared sea war between American and French naval forces between 1798 and 1800 saw more than 90 French armed ships seized. a. France now became the enemy for many Americans.

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Chapter 8 Section 3: The First Political Parties

C. Alien and Sedition Acts 1. In 1798 Congress passed a group of measures called the Alien and Sedition Acts. 2. These laws were passed to protect the nation's security. a. Americans became more suspicious of aliens, or people living in the United States who were not citizens, especially Europeans who came in the 1790s and who supported the ideals of the French Revolution. People were concerned that if the United States and France went to war, these aliens might not remain loyal to the United States.

b. Sedition refers to activities aimed at weakening established government. Americans were suspicious of the aliens and concerned that they might engage in unlawful activities such as speaking out against the United States government.

D. Domestic and Foreign Affairs 1. The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798 and 1799 were resolutions written by Madison and Jefferson on states' rights.

2. The resolution said that the Alien and Sedition Acts could not become effective because they violated the Constitution. a. They also said that the people of each state had the right to nullify, or cancel, a federal law within that state. b. They showed that many Americans feared a strong central government that could interfere with their rights. The issue of states' rights would continue, and in time lead to civil war.

3. The undeclared war with France needed resolution. a. Federalists urged Adams to step up the war with France. b. They hoped to benefit politically from a war. Adams refused to rush a war and appointed a commission to seek peace with France.

4. In 1800 the French agreed to a treaty and stopped attacks on American ships. a. This agreement hurt Adams's chance for reelection. b. Hamilton and his supporters now opposed their own president.

5. Because of this rift in the Federalist Party, the Republicans now had a good chance to win the 1800 presidential election.

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