StellarThe Adams Administration
In the election of 1796, John Adams was elected president. One of the main issues was the fact that France seized American ships. As a result, Adams sent delegates to France to resolve the issue. However, the French officials demanded bribes, which led to the XYZ affair, which incensed the American public. Not only did America fight France in informal conflicts during the Quasi-War, but this wave of support led to Adams being able to pass the Alien and Sedition Acts, which stipulated a crackdown on civil liberties such as freedom of speech and naturalization. In response, Kentucky and Virginia passed the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which advanced the theory of nullification. This theory argued that states were able to ignore or nullify laws that were unconstitutional, and this would be the precedent for future uses of nullification that would happen later. Due to the Alien and Sedition Acts being very unpopular, Adams only served one term as president, and the Alien and Sedition Acts were eventually repealed.