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=JOHN ADAMS=

October 30, 1735 - July 4, 1826
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 * **Political party:** Federalist
 * **Term served:** 1797 to 1801
 * **Vice President:** Thomas Jefferson

John Adams deserves a **B+** for the success of his presidency. One of the biggest mistakes he made as President was passing the Alien and Sedition Acts. These acts were not popular among the people of the United States. Also, the Federalist party was not happy with the way Adams was running things. Although there were many setbacks to his presidency, he succeeded by preparing the nation for war with France and proving them with trained military protection.

One main goal of Adams during his presidency was to be prepared for an expected war with France. At this time, both England and France were trying to control American trade. This put the US in a tough position. Many people wondered if America would stay neutral or lean towards a more "aristocratic" or "democratic" stand point. Adams was caught in the middle at one point. Most of the Americans were staying neutral, but the Jeffersonians sympathized with the French and the Federalists in England. This tension caused the Federalists in Congress to spring into action. With Adams' consent, they substantially increased the size of the American navy, a larger provisional army, and write the Alien and Sedition Acts; along with a taxing system to pay for everything they had planned. In 1798, Adams became convinced that war wasn't necessary. He approved of a new prospective of peace with France. This vital decision created serious public discontent with the Federalist's war program. The Jeffersonians helped create more public rage toward this new idea. In 1799, Adams committed himself to a plan of peaceful accommodation with France. This made the Hamiltonians angry. They were now prepared with a military ready to go to war, but with no foreign invader.

Adams had a good relationship with Congress during his term. Both the House and the Senate had a Federalist majority. During Adams' term, he served in the 5th and 6th US Congress. During the 5th US Congress, a total of four Alien and Sedition Acts were passed. The first Act established a uniform rule of naturalization. The second was an Act concerning Aliens. The third Act was about respecting Alien Enemies. Finally, the fourth Act was for the punishment of certain crimes against the United States. The Sedition Act was vetoed shortly after being passed because it took away the citizens' freedoms of speech and press. Twenty-five editors of Republican newspapers were arrested and their newspapers were shut down because of this legislative rule.

The peace treaty between American and France had the most positive outcome. This treaty prevented war, and prepared the US with a new army and navy, and federal laws against illegal immigrants. The Sedition Act had the most negative outcome with the people of the United States. This took away their freedom of speech and press, which limited them to expressing their viewpoints. If caught, they could be thrown in jail and fined for speaking up.

Adams' decision to pass the Alien and Sedition Acts still influences the United States. These laws have set the standard for citizenship in America. They cover the ways that an immigrant can become a naturalized US citizen. We still use these Acts as the basis for today's laws concerning illegal immigration and citizenship.

By the end of John Adams' presidential term, the United States was better off than before. The war with the French was prevented by a peace treaty. Although many thought the Alien and Sedition Acts were not beneficial at the time, they have affected the way laws have been formed about immigration and citizenship in today's government.

__Bibliography__

"5th United States Congress - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." __Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia__. 10 Sep. 2009 .

"American President: John Adams." __Miller Center of Public Affairs__. 10 Sep. 2009 .

"Biography of John Adams." __Welcome to the White House__. 10 Sep. 2009 .

"John Adams Biography - American Presidents on History Empire." __American Presidents on History Empire__. 10 Sep. 2009 .

"John Adams." __UUA Server for Other Organizations' Web Sites__. 10 Sep. 2009 .

Law, Feudal. "John Adams: Biography from Answers.com." __Answers.com - Online Dictionary, Encyclopedia and much more__. 10 Sep. 2009 .

"The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 | Early America's Milestone Historic Documents." __Archiving Early America: Primary Source Material from 18th Century America__. 10 Sep. 2009 .