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= =  //**John Adams**//  October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826 Born in Quincy, Massachusetts Federalist Term of Office: March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801 (one term) Vice President: Thomas Jefferson from 1797-1801

Letter Grade: B+ Theme: Globalization

John Adams was a New England aristocrat, Harvard-educated lawyer, and an accomplished diplomat, all before he became the second president of the United States. Owing to his background, his presidency was largely defined by complex foreign policy maneuvers that kept America out of war, most notably the XYZ Affair and its aftermath, the Convention of 1800 and the Alien and Sedition Acts. Although John Adams lacked the charisma and intense popularity of his predecessor, his prudent decision put the entire nation over the interests of his party to avoid conflict was integral to the survival of a nascent America, and earns him the grade of a B+.

At the start of his term, John Adams was faced with many obstacles including constitutional debate over the power of the federal government, diplomatic relations with France and England, massive war debt, and finally the approval from the American public. Most pressing was the war between France and England that was threatening American trade on the Atlantic and the country’s neutral position on the conflict. John Adams sought to curb foreign influence on policy in America by maintaining amicable relations with both parties. In terms of domestic policy, Adams aimed to maintain a strong federal government created under Federalist-leaning Washington. At the end of his term, Adams had skillfully kept America out of a destructive war that would cripple the nation. He ended the military alliance with France but preserved friendly trade relations with both the English and the French, allowing for America’s influence to spread through commerce and immigration. However, unpopular actions like the Convention of 1800 splintered the Federalist Party allowing the Republican Jefferson to take the White House.

John Adams devoted himself to the cause of maintaining and enhancing young America’s foreign relations with the major powers of the world, especially its largest trading partners, England and France. Although his collaboration on domestic matters with the legislature was not extensive, the Federalist-majority Congress assisted him by passing foreign affairs legislation with relative ease. Congress supported Adams’ diplomatic mission to France in 1797, and in the aftermath of this XYZ scandal, he used the legislature as a means of spreading the news of French dishonesty, therefore glorying the Americans’ decency of not accepting the bribe. Also following this scandal, the Federalist legislators backed Adams’ plans of the creation of the Navy and Marine Corps. Towards the end of his presidency, Federalist Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts that eventually cost Adams reelection despite the fact that he never explicitly advocated nor vetoed them. Even though the Federalists advocated war on France for its belligerence, Adams pushed for the passage of the Convention of 1800 that made peace with France and ended the Quasi-War, further dividing and weakening the Federalist Party. Evident through his lack of major involvement in domestic, party-related legislative affairs, Adams demonstrated his concern for national well being over his party by supporting an unpopular measure that saved America from a crippling war.

By far the most positive outcome of John Adams’ administration was his incredibly insightful management of the conflict with France that ended with the Convention of 1800. His shrewd understanding of the European balance of power and America’s precarious position as an emerging, promising nation ultimately guided his decision to comply with France’s conditions for peace despite the fact that its aggressive actions probably warranted violent retribution. Had he advocated war with France, the powerful British navy would have quickly crushed the American military and left the country open for future invasion by its former oppressor. Being embroiled in a conflict across the Atlantic would not have allowed for the vital solidification of the Constitution and the development of a diversified economy; what America desperately needed. He violated his party platform in order to ensure that the United States remained a viable contender for a seat amongst the economic, industrial, and cultural giants of the era.

Though John Adams was not directly involved, his failure to veto the Alien and Sedition acts gave way to Republican control of the White House. These laws were in direct violation of the Bill of Rights created in the previous administration and were by far the most divisive issues during Adams’ presidency. They aimed to limit the influence of foreign agents on American soil but instead granted an unlawful degree of power to the executive branch and limited free speech. Perhaps closer involvement with the legislators and the public would have alerted Adams to the great unpopularity of these acts. These laws exhibited a xenophobic attitude that was contrary to the worldly aspirations of American citizens, and was ignorant the country’s immigrant beginnings. Just as he went against his party’s wishes by pushing the Convention of 1800 through, Adams should have stopped the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts to preserve the liberties guaranteed to the citizens in the Bill of Rights.

In retrospect, the actions of the Adams administration paved the way for the creation of establishments vital to modern American society. Perhaps the most obvious is the formation of the Navy and Marine Corps branches of the military. These institutions now form the backbone of the American armed forces and play a vital role in every American conflict. The peace with France made possible by the Convention of 1800 led to Jefferson’s infamous Louisiana Purchase. Had Adams gone to war with France, the probability of Napoleon selling the massive chunk of land to America three years later was very thin. The French would have probably established a second New World empire there, cutting off westward expansion to the Pacific. Finally, Adams nominated John Marshall to the Supreme Court, and left his lasting Federalist impact on future laws such as the creation of the judicial branch. As the second president, John Adams greatly influenced the foundations of the nation during its formative years.

At the end of Adams’ four-year term, he had saved America from a war and probable destruction, but lost his White House seat to the Democratic-Republicans. Although his inability to effectively engage the populace and his actions at the end of his presidency that cost his party the elections were viewed as failures by his contemporaries, these flaws pale in comparison to John Adams’ immense contributions to his country evidenced by his selfless commitment to national stability during the conflict with France. His effectiveness as a leader, particularly in diplomacy, deserves him the grade of a B+.

//Citations//

C. James, Taylor. "American President: John Adams." Miller Center. University of Virginia, n.d. Web. 8 Sept. 2011. .

"John Adams ." The White House. United States Government, n.d. Web. 8 Sept. 2011. .

Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas Andrew Bailey. The American pageant: a history of the Republic. 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Print.