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=John Adams=

Born: October 30, 1735 in Quincy, Massachusetts Died: July 4, 1826 in Quincy, Massachusetts Term of Office: 1797-1801 Vice President: Thomas Jefferson (1797-1801) Political Party: Federalist

Had John Adams and his administration been graded, they would have received a B -. They would have this grade because of Adams' decisions concerning foreign policy, his achievements such as the Treaty of Mortefontaine, and his domestic policy legislation such as the Alien and Sedition Acts.

Adams had multiple goals going into the presidency. First was to keep the government strong and similar to the one under Washington's administration because the nation had stayed strong and prospered under his rule. Second was to build up a strong military to fight against France if they refused to bargain with America. His final goal was to avoid a war with France because the War of Independence had been solved recently and he believed fighting another war could prove fatal for the American union.

Adams had a good relationship with Congress. Both parties of Congress as well as the president himself were from the Federalist party. Therefore, no vetoes took place during his time as president. Congress approved of Adams' requests of funds for defensive measures by supplementing the Navy, improving coastal defenses, giving the president the authority to summon up to 80,000 militiamen to active duty, and creating a provisional army. Also, Congress organized the Marnie Corps, created the Navy Department, passed the Alien and Sedition Acts to curb opposition, and repealed treaties of commerce and alliance with France that had been made during the War of Independence. This example shows Congress shared the same viewpoints as the president and saw no reason to question his requests. Another example that demonstrates the relationship between Congress and the president is shown by the Federalist Congress in making new stamp and house taxes to pay for the military measures it enacted during the XYZ affair. Adams could have vetoed these taxes but he didn't, showing his support for Congress' decisions and actions.

The action of the president's administration that had the most positive outcome was the Treaty of Mortefontaine which was signed by Adams and Bonaparte to release the United States from their alliance with the French from the Revolutionary War. France was fighting a war with Britain and Adams knew the United States couldn't handle another war so soon, which is why he negotiated with Bonaparte. Many Americans who opposed the French Revolution wanted a war to save Great Britain and eliminate the revolutionaries in France. Adams wanted to solve the conflict peacefully and wished to negotiate with France. In 1798-1799, the French government was willing to talk and receive an American diplomat. Adams told the French he intended to send another diplomatic commission to France, however, when the commissioners arrived in Paris in late 1799, the French government had a new leader, Napoleon Bonaparte. American envoys and Napoleon signed the Treaty of Mortefontaine after several weeks of negotiating, releasing the United States from its Revolutionary War alliance with France. By avoiding a war and freeing the United States from its alliance with France, the signing of the Treaty of Mortefontaine was the action with the most positive outcome.

A decision made by Adams and his administration that influenced future presidential administrations were the Alien and Sedition Acts. This series of laws were passed in 1798 by Congress. They were designed to control what foreigners did in the United States during a time of approaching war. The laws included the Naturalization Act, which increased residency period for aliens wanting to become citizens from 5 to 14 years; the Alien Act, which expelled aliens from the country during times of peace; the Alien Enemies Act, which expelled or imprisoned aliens during times of war; and the Sedition Act, which fined or imprisoned anyone who criticized the president, Congress, or the government in speech or print. These acts were important because it gave the government a means to intimidate those speaking out against them within the country and controlling those that opposed the government. These acts caused hundreds of foreign residents to flee the country and many to be prosecuted under the Sedition Act. These acts influenced the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918. The Sedition Act of the Wilson administration was incredibly similar to the Sedition Act of the Adams administration in that speaking or writing out against the government was prohibited. The correlation between the two acts in two different presidencies show how this decision Adams made impacted and influenced future presidential administrations.

Due to Adams' decisions concerning foreign policy, his achievements, and his domestic policy legislation, he should receive a B - grade. At the end of his term, the country was better off because it was no longer held in alliance with France, allowing the United States to stay peaceful and out of the war between Britain and France. It was a difficult time to hold office and decisions such as the Alien and Sedition Acts were frowned upon, but overall, things were handled well, which is why John Adams deserves a B - ranking.

Bibliography

"American President". University of Virginia. September 1, 2010 .

"U.S. Presidents By Political Party". Concord Learning Systems. September 1, 2010 .

"Alien and Sedition Acts". September 1, 2010 .