FREE ESSAY ON JOHN ADAMS

JOHN ADAMS

The second president of the United States of America was John Adams. He was born on Oct.
30, 1735 in Braintree, Massachusetts. His party affiliation was the Federalist. His
nickname was "Atlas of Independence." His vice president was Thomas Jefferson and he was
in office for one term. One major thing that he was noted for was adding E Pluribus Unum
to all of the American coins and relocated the U.S. capital to Washington D.C. from
Philadelphia.
The XYZ affair is what basically started the French war. It all started when Adams sent a
mission of diplomats to France (the president never traveled anywhere over seas because
the risks were too great) to make a peace treaty. The mission never got to France.
Instead agents of Charles Talleyrand, the French foreign minister, approached the
diplomats. The agents stated that the United States could make reparations for its
alleged injuries to the country of France by paying a huge bribe to Talleyrand and
financing a large loan to the French government. These terms were so great and
dishonorable that the diplomats rejected them. When Adams heard news, he tried to keep it
a secret, but Jefferson's pro French Republicans accused him of suppressing information
that was favorable to France. In the end he had to reveal the bad news.
With tension growing between the two countries, Adams ordered an expansion of the Army.
He also created a department of the Navy and commissioned the building of naval fighting
ships. Also George Washington was called out of retirement to lead the Army with
Alexander Hamilton in second command. By the end of 1798 more than a dozen men-of-war had
been launched and an undeclared naval war had begun with the French. Even though Adams
didn't really like these vast military preparations, he went along with the nation's
wishes.
Adams passed the Alien and Sedition Act. This is actually series of laws. It was passed
in 1798. The Alien and Sedition Act law was designed to destroy the Jeffersonian
Republicans who expressed sympathy for the French. These laws lengthened the residency
requirement for citizenship and empowered the president to expel dangerous aliens. It
also proscribed spoken and written criticism of the government. It provoked the Kentucky
and Virginia Resolutions. It was later repealed.
John Adams was inaugurated as president at Federal Hall, Philadelphia. He was inaugurated
on March 4, 1797. Philadelphia was then the nation's capital. Adams spent only the last
few months of his presidency at the new capital, Washington, D.C. He also signed the
Declaration of Independence.
Adams appointed many additions to the Supreme Court. He appointed Bushrod Washington,
which stayed in the Supreme Court from 1798 to 1829. He appointed Alfred Moore who stayed
in the Supreme Court from 1799 to 1804. He also appointed John Marshall who was Chief
Justice and held that position from 1801 to 1835. Adams was one of the greatest
presidents that ever held the presidency. Even though only elected for one term, he made
many accomplishments in just four years.