John Adams Role In Quasi-War With France

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America was coming out of the Revolutionary period and beginning to figure out priorities as a nation. While figuring out these priorities, the first two party system of America was created with the Federalists and Republicans. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, each from different parties,took steps to help establish a stable government, as president, after the Constitution was adopted. John Adams took steps to help establish a stable government, as president, after the Constitution was adopted ( by avoiding wars and…?) President John Adams played a large role in the Quasi- War with France. The Quasi-War was an undeclared war between America and France as the result of the Jay Treaty, trade deals between America and Britain.The French and British had previously been at war, causing both sides to attack American ships for soldiers and products, and to stop this, American officials negotiated the Jay Treaty with Britain. The French were attacking American ships …show more content…
merchants and shippers. High Federalists, who believed very strongly in Federalist ways, saw the attacks between the U.S. and France as a perfect opportunity to declare war with France, because Federalists prefered Britain over France. Moderate Federalists and Republicans wanted to avoid war, so John Adams sent negotiators to France to stop the attacks and repair relations. The result of sending negotiators ended in the XYZ Affair, French negotiators asking for bribes before negotiating. High Federalists pushed for war even more after receiving this news. Adams continued negotiations despite all the pressure and managed to avoid a war with France while restoring relations. Avoiding a war was a major step for President Adams to help to establish a stable government because going into war with France would have heightened tensions between High Federalists and Republicans and even with Moderate Federalists. The parties would have had a larger reason to fight and progress would not be made in the