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 * What major policy issues were a challenge to your president? Jared Spry **

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 * [|During John Adams’ presidency, there were many things occurring around the world.] One of the biggest problems was the **
 * [|French Revolution.] **** During the French Revolution, Americans were unsure of whom to side with: the English, who were their biggest trade partners, or the French, who helped the Americans win their own revolution. During Washington’spresidency, he sent John Jay to ease the British. The result was Jay’s Treaty, which the French took as an alliance. France then started to seize American ships. To try to end this unsettlement, Adams sent over three men to Paris to negotiate, and explain that Jay’s Treaty was i n fact, a treaty, not an alliance. But Prime Minister Charles Maurice de Talleyrand of France refused to accept the commissioners into France, and demanded to have a $250,000 bribe, and a $10 million loan for France before he would start negotiating peace. This, known as the XYZ affair, plunged the United States into a defensive position.  **
 * Adams requested that Congress take every precaution. This included the creation of the Navy, the improvement of off-shore/coastal defenses, and the authority given to the president to call up to 80,000 active militiamen to duty. Also, the Alien and Sedition acts were made to calm American citizens. Treaties of both trade and alliance with France were abolished, and the Navy department and Marine Corps were installed. Even though Adams tried to not get involved, the bloody battle known as the Quasi-war crisis occurred. Many citizens wanted to save England, and to forcefully end the French Revolution, but Adams still wanted to peacefully end this conflict. Adams then later received information that the French were willing to negotiate. But by the time commissioners were sent to Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte had taken control of France. After much negotiation, the American commissioners and Napoleon signed the Treaty of Mortefontaine. This treaty released the U.S. and France from their Revolutionary alliance, and ended the Quasi-war. **