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1. Washington’s retirement.
The policies of isolation and neutrality were to form the bed rock of
Election of 1796:
but the party leaders informally agreed as to whom they should support.
The partition along party lines was problematic as the Constitution had not
Hamilton disliked Adams and sat about to undermine his election in favor
agenda.
Treaty with France – In the wake of Jay’s Treaty, the French corsairs
with).
France where a treaty was negotiated with France and the permanent
XYZ Affair – Facing public outcry and demands for war from the
public and the Federalists against the French, Adams had earlier
affair devolved into the XYZ Affair as the French foreign minister at
demand for war with France, but Adams refused to be drawn into a
full conflict with France. The mission was eventually recalled without
a treaty.
The French crisis was a pretext that the Federalists were keen in exploiting
act also contained the Sedition Act which was used against anyone who
For the Republicans the proof that this was a Federalist conspiracy was
evident in the fact that the act excluded criticism of the Republican vice-
president and was set to expire on March 3, 1801 (the day when the new
administration took power thereby making sure that the law will not be
Federalists countered that the law was necessary in time of crises. Supreme
have recourse.
arose as a compact amongst states, the states should decide when Congress
had exceeded its powers. This is known as the Compact Theory of the
Constitution.
The acts were meant as pieces of propaganda but it had profound and
Instead, the Federalists used the Act to target newspaper men affiliated