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John Adams was elected president in 1796 when he was 61. Prior to this, he had a very good education and was active in politics in the United States. He went to Harvard University and then studied law. Before the revolution, he represented the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre. He also represented Massachusetts in the First Continental Congress. He was the United States minister to England, and then served as George Washington's Vice President before he himself was elected president.

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During Washington's presidency, two political parties emerged. They were the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party, and they would play important roles in the conflicts of Adams' Presidency. These parties were created because of the increasingly different views people had on the country's government. Federalists valued manufacturing, debt, and the national bank, and believed in loose construction of the Constitution. Democratic-Republicans valued farming and thought debt and the national bank harmed the country, and they also believed in strict construction of the Constitution. The divide between these two parties grew during the election of 1796.

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The XYZ Affair started when American diplomats were sent to France to discuss a peace treaty. The diplomats were met by three French agents, who asked for a bribe of $250,000. They would not discuss peace unless they got the money. This greatly angered Americans, especially those in the Federalist Party. However, President Adams did not declare war with France despite the people's anger. He feared the cost it would have on the country and continued to try and restore peace.

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Members of the Federalist Party pushed for the country to go to war. They went as far as to pass the Alien and Sedition Acts. These acts were said to protect the United States, but their real purpose was to stop people from opposing a war with France. They stopped anyone from publicly criticizing the federal government. To counter this, the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions were made. They argued that the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. However, they did not have the intended immediate impact, but the Alien and Sedition Acts expired in a few years anyway.

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Uploaded by Rick Hengsterman on 2013-10-22.

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Adams's presidency made the national government stronger because they did not enter an unnecessary war with France. It also caused the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which, while not having the intended impact, showed the states that they could challenge the federal government on something that made them unhappy. This idea is very important to our country's history and future.