1301.8a - Adams' Foreign Policy

The Election of 179600:00:00

George Washington refuses a third term, establishing a two-term tradition. John Adams, the Federalist candidate, defeats Thomas Jefferson, who becomes Vice President because he came in second. The election reveals a North-South divide and marks the first time party affiliation played a major role in a presidential race.

Foreign Policy and the XYZ Affair00:01:30

Tensions rise with France, which is seizing American vessels and impressing sailors due to anger over Jay's Treaty and U.S. neutrality during the French Revolution. Adams sends negotiators to France to prevent war, but they encounter three French agents (X, Y, and Z) who demand a large loan and a personal bribe for Foreign Minister Talleyrand. The U.S. refuses, sparking anti-French sentiment and calls for war.

The Quasi-War and Convention of 180000:05:48

An undeclared naval war, known as the Quasi-War, occurs between the U.S. and France from 1798 to 1800 involving ship seizures and small naval battles without official declarations of war or armies. The conflict ends when Napoleon Bonaparte takes power in France and reaches an agreement with Adams called the Convention of 1800, restoring free trade and preventing a full-scale war.