A Peaceful Transfer of Power Differences of Opinion Conflicts over foreign policy decisions relating to England and France presented another set of challenges to the new nation. While most national leaders agreed that neutrality was the wisest course to follow, sharp disagreements arose when that neutrality was violated. Attempts by those in power to censor their critics during an undeclared war with France brought about strong rebukes from Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Video: The Quasi-War In the 1790s, the United States tried to remain neutral as war raged between Great Britain and France. However, the United States soon found itself in an undeclared war with France. This video analyzes the causes and consequences of this quasi-war. Look for answers to these questions when watching the video: Why did the United States declare neutrality regarding conflicts between Britain and France in the 1790s? What was the Jay Treaty? Why was it so controversial? What was the XYZ affair? What effects did it have in the United States? Why did the United States have a "Quasi-War" with France? What were the effects of this undeclared war? What were the Alien and Sedition Acts? What were they intended to accomplish? What effects did they have? Why did Madison and Jefferson write the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions? What key idea was put forward in these documents? What were the short- and long-term effects of the Resolutions? Why did President John Adams ultimately pursue peace with France? How did this affect his reelection chances? What does this say about Adams? What were the long-term effects of President Washington's approach to neutrality and President Adams's pursuit of peace in the 1790s?
Video script: Music introduction Actor, George Washington: The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is in extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political connection as possible. tis our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances, with any portion of the foreign world. Narrator: When Washington published his farewell address in 1796, war was still raging between Great Britain and France. Washington believed it was best for the United States to remain above the fray. But maintaining this ideal in a hostile world had proved to be difficult. Joyce Appleby, University of California at Los Angeles: The United States was pledged to help France. They d actually signed a treaty saying that they would come to the aid of each other if either went to war with England. So the neutrality policy was in the face of this treaty, that Washington proclaimed neutrality, and he did it simply because America was not strong enough to get involved in the war. The only way that they could survive was to stay clear of the belligerence. Narrator: A treaty with the British, negotiated in 1795 by John Jay, angered the French and much of the American public, including some members of Washington s own cabinet. Actor, Boston Protestor: Damn John Jay! Damn everyone who won t damn John Jay! Damn everyone who won t stay up all night damning John Jay! Joseph Ellis, Mount Holyoke College: The Jay Treaty of 1795, in the opinion of some people, leans a bit towards England. Well, the French therefore interpret us as having violated our commitment to them and they actually go to war with us on the high seas, mostly in the Caribbean. So Adams inherits that situation from Washington and it plagues his entire presidency. Narrator: During the next three years, the French seized over 300 American ships with cargo valued around $20 million. Joseph Ellis: Adams sends a delegation to Paris to try to negotiate some kind of peace with france. Three French delegates who are called X, Y, And Z demand the payment of a huge amount of money before they will even permit negotiations to proceed. The American
delegation refuses to pay this ransom. Adams initially does not reveal this news to the American people because he knows once he does that, they are going to become extraordinarily belligerent and call for a war and he s trying to avoid war. Eventually he does reveal that, and it is regarded as a slap in the face for the entire American nation. Narrator: In the wake of the XYZ affair, the U.S. became entangled in an undeclared war with France, known as the Quasi War. The Quasi-War took place mostly at sea, but there were immediate political consequences at home. Congress passed The Alien and Sedition Acts, giving the government legal authority to silence its political enemies. Joseph Ellis: They were largely the work of the high Federalists in the Congress of the United States who were calling for some attempts to suppress the Republican press. Joyce Appleby: They re vigorous enforcers and it closes down every single Republican newspaper. They are very ruthless. They go after the prominent Republican editors. They go after a couple of congressmen. Joseph Ellis: The actual effect of The Alien and Sedition Acts was counterproductive from the point of view of the Federalists because each of these people that were sent to jail became martyrs and it effectively helped the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800. Narrator: The Alien and Sedition Acts served as a rallying point for the new Republican Party. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson drafted the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions to challenge their constitutionality. Actor, Jefferson: Whensoever the general government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthorized, void, and of no force. Joseph Ellis: The Jefferson camp, Jefferson and Madison, their response to the sedition act is not to talk about freedom of the press or First Amendment privileges. Their response is to talk about secession. This is the doctrine that later will be the Doctrine of John C. Calhoun and the Doctrine of the Confederacy in South Carolina. So that, the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions are not primarily statements about freedom of the press so much as the right of a state to nullify a federal law.
Narrator: In 1800, Adams came to terms with France despite opposition from his own party. Joseph Ellis: In the end, Adams does what is the publicly right thing, which is the unpopular thing. If Adams had decided to go to war with France during his first term as president, he would have unquestionably been reelected in 1800 because there was huge support for a war with France. He refuses to do that and sends several peace delegations to Paris which eventually produces the Treaty of Mortefontaine which ends the war, but that news doesn t come back in time to help him win the election of 1800. Narrator: Washington s policy of neutrality and Adams pursuit of peace ultimately kept the U.S. out of a major European war, which may have saved the young republic from early destruction. It also established an important precedent in American foreign policy. Joseph Ellis: Washington s definition of American neutrality is also implicitly a definition of isolationism. It s an expansive form of isolationism, if you will, continentalism. And if you re a Native American, it doesn t look too isolationist at all. But it s a recognition in the 1790s by the leading statesmen that the future of America for the next hundred years lies within the North American continent, and the occupation of that continent and that until that has occurred, we ought not allow ourselves to be dragged into foreign entanglements. End of video. Video: The Election of 1800 By the end of the eighteenth century, two distinct political parties had emerged from the differences of opinion within the United States: the Federalists and the Republicans. While sometimes unsettling, the functioning of political parties sharpened the debates on political issues and established political practices that affected the nation for generations. The peaceful transfer of power that took place in 1801 after the hotly contested election of 1800 remains a significant event in American history. Look for answers to these questions when watching the video: How and why were political parties operating in the presidential election of 1800? What were the major differences between the Federalists and Republicans?
Why did Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr end up with the same number of votes in the Electoral College in 1800? What change did this bring about in the electoral voting? What is the short-term and long-term significance of the election of 1800 and the peaceful transfer of power which followed? Video script: Music introduction Actor, George Washington: Let me now warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party. The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension is itself a frightful despotism. Narrator: Despite George Washington s dire warning, two distinct political parties were discernible by the end of the 18th century. The Federalists emerged from a coalition that had fought for ratification of the Constitution in 1788. They were bound by a commitment to an energetic federal government. Washington was, by inclination, a Federalist, yet clear divisions over economic and foreign policy surfaced within his administration. Jefferson frequently opposed Federalist initiatives and eventually resigned as secretary of state, complaining that he and Hamilton had been Actor, Thomas Jefferson: pitted against each other every day in the cabinet like two fightingcocks. Narrator: James Madison joined Jefferson in leading the opposition Republican Party. Joyce Appleby: The Federalist notion of the relation between the government and the people was that the people voted and then the people shut up and they let their officials carry on all the business of government. The Jeffersonian idea was that the government were servants of the people and that citizens should be actively involved all the time. Narrator: By the election of 1800, the two parties were openly promoting different platforms. John Adams and Charles C. Pinckney ran for the Federalist Party. Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr ran as Republicans. Joseph Ellis: The Jeffersonian Party is the first party to recognize that it has to regard party
behavior seriously and mobilize voters at the state level and to regard the election as a kind of contest in which what we would now regard as modern political organizing is necessary. The Federalists don t understand that. The Federalists think that they just have to present their candidates and the people will naturally gravitate towards them. The Federalists remain more deferential and more classical in their notions about what politics is supposed to be. Narrator: In the election of 1800, the Republicans better reflected the anti-elitist spirit of the times. When all of the votes were in, the two Republican candidates were locked in a tie for the presidency. Joyce Appleby: They ended up with a tie vote because party discipline was so excellent. The Republicans were so well organized everybody voted for the two men. Now the Constitution had arranged that the winner and the runner-up would become president and vice president respectively. The Constitution also said that if there wasn t a winner that the vote was thrown into Congress. So, it was thrown into the House. Then came the possibility of denying Jefferson the vote and the Federalists, there were enough Federalist spoilers that would have loved to have done that. To Alexander Hamilton s credit, he really was the one who squashed that. He didn t like Jefferson but he detested Burr, and so it didn t happen and Jefferson was elected on the 37th or 8th or 9th ballot. It was clear then that the Constitution had not foreseen the development of parties and so a constitutional amendment was proposed and passed very quickly which set up separate elections for the president and vice president. Joseph Ellis: The big significance of the election of 1800 though is that it s the first time when political power changes from one regime to another. 1800 is the first occasion when an opposition party, a new group replaces the old group. By the creation of political parties, the United States effectively creates a way to discipline and structure and internalize conflict and to create a situation in which different points of view can coexist without one side annihilating, massacring, executing the other side. The United States in effect internalizes a permanent dissent with the creation of political parties. Joyce Appleby: What s significant is what doesn t happen. Jefferson wins the election. The Federalists are truly horrified. They think that he is a very dangerous man, but they don t take any action. They don t rattle any swords. They don t talk about secession. They just go home and grumble. Power is transferred peacefully. And we can measure the real significance of that by the number of times in world history in which groups of people in power have not given up
that power when they ve been voted out of office, and they ve overthrown the government and they ve overthrown the Constitution. You cannot have democratic politics unless the people who are participants in politics are willing to abide by the decisions at the ballot box. Narrator: Jefferson s inaugural address was conciliatory. Actor, Thomas Jefferson: Every difference of opinion is not a difference in principle. We have called by different names brethren of the same principle. We are all Republicans we are all Federalists. Narrator: However, in a private letter of the same period Jefferson wrote: Actor, Thomas Jefferson: I shall by the establishment of Republican principles sink federalism into an abyss from which there shall be no resurrection of it. End of video. Video: The Election of 2000 Like the election of 1800, the 2000 presidential election challenged the stability of democracy in America. Once again, in spite of the historically close race, a peaceful transfer of power took place. Look for the answer to this question when watching the video: What parallels exist between the elections of 1800 and 2000? Video script: Protestors chanting Narrator: Exactly 200 years after the first peaceful transfer of power, another presidential election challenged the stability of democracy in the United States. After one of the closest elections in history, Democrats contested the vote counts in the state of Florida. During a contentious month of court battles and partisan political conflict, the public waited for the outcome of the election to be decided.
When the Supreme Court s decision went in favor of the Republicans, even the bitterest of Democrats accepted defeat. Once again, a peaceful transfer of power took place. End of video. Activity: Check Your Understanding During the 1790s, the United States established a position on the international front while taking steps domestically to ensure a peaceful transfer of power. President Washington established a precedent by proclaiming neutrality in the on-going war between France and Britain. By being neutral, the United States could trade with both sides and did not have to commit military forces to the conflict. During the late 1790s, President John Adams went against popular opinion by pursuing peace with the French. This action saved money and lives, but it may well have cost Adams any real chance of being re-elected in 1800. In the 1800 election, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr ended in a tie. The House of Representatives, voting by states, had to choose the winner. The controversy surrounding this process prompted the ratification of the 12th Amendment, setting up separate electoral votes for president and vice-president.