John Adams Alien And Sedition Act Essay

When faced with difficult situations, Presidents throughout history have made questionable decisions over what is best for the American people. Whether faced with foreign or internal threats, the pressures of the executive office can lead to controversial choices. Actions that are initially viewed as necessary and justifiable, even applauded for their purpose, can become — in hindsight — unfair, unwise, and even unconstitutional. Often times, these lapses in proper judgement of what is lawful and necessary arise from trying times of high emotion, when the President believes that they are operating for the safety and preservation of the American people at the time of the conflict. Two such Presidents, elected during times of intense adversity

President John Adams and the Alien and Sedition Acts

President John Adams was elected in 1797, as the second President of the United States. His inauguration came at a time of transition in American society, as the new nation was still adjusting to its independence. Political parties divided the nation, and citizens divided the parties. Federalists split between Conservatives and Moderates, as everyone had their own ideas on the limits of freedom. The Adams Administration represented this division as it was a mixed administration — Adams was a Federalist but his vice-president, Thomas Jefferson, was a Democratic-Republican with very different ideas about how government should be run. Additionally, Americans had varying ideas about the French Revolution, creating conflict in Europe. In addition to American power shifts, there was a huge growth of newspapers throughout the decade. Publishers sold issues because of their “intense commitment to a particular partisan view of the contentious events of the day” — most people at the time believed that their political opponents would “destroy the nation” if they