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== Vice President and President ==

== Vice President and President ==

Adams returned home after the adoption of [[the Constitution]].  He served as the first [[vice president]] in the U.S. history from 1789 to 1797.  George Washington's decision to retire from public life set the stage for the first truly partisan presidential election.  Alexander Hamilton was the true leader of the Federalists.  However he made many political enemies during his tenure as Secretary of the Treasury. The Federalists decided to run Adams as their presidential candidate and Thomas Pinckney for the office of vice-president. The Republicans selected their leader, Thomas Jefferson for president and Aaron Burr as vice-President. Adams won the bitterly contested[[United States presidential election, 1796|Presidential Election of 1796]], garnering 71 electoral votes to Jefferson's 68, and became president in his own right.  

Adams returned home after the adoption of [[the Constitution]].  He served as the first [[vice president]] in the U.S. history from 1789 to 1797.  George Washington's decision to retire from public life set the stage for the first truly partisan presidential election.  Alexander Hamilton was the true leader of the Federalists.  However he made many political enemies during his tenure as Secretary of the Treasury. The Federalists decided to run Adams as their presidential candidate and Thomas Pinckney for the office of vice-president. The Republicans selected their leader, Thomas Jefferson for president and Aaron Burr as vice-President. Adams won the bitterly contested [[United States presidential election, 1796|Presidential Election of 1796]], garnering 71 electoral votes to Jefferson's 68, and became president in his own right.  

However, in 1796 electors did not indicate which office they were voting for. By coming in second to Adams, Jefferson became his vice-president.  Before the 1804 election, the twelfth amendment would require electors to designate which office they were voting for.  

However, in 1796 electors did not indicate which office they were voting for. By coming in second to Adams, Jefferson became his vice-president.  Before the 1804 election, the twelfth amendment would require electors to designate which office they were voting for.  

Jefferson spent much of his time as vice-president attacking Adams, even going so far as by hire journalists to write scurrilous editorials about the President.  

Jefferson spent much of his time as vice-president attacking Adams, even going so far as by hire journalists to write scurrilous editorials about the President. Adams passed several laws in an attempt to prevent his defeat by Jefferson in 1800. Adams passed the [[Alien Act|Alien]] and [[Sedition Act]]s. The Alien Act was designed to prevent immigrants, who supported Jefferson, from gaining citizenship, and the right to vote. While the Sedition Act was designed to stifle critics of Adams. When Adams was defeated by Jefferson he began an attempt to stack the courts with [[Federalist]] judges so that his party could maintain some control of the government. One such appointment led to the landmark [[Supreme Court]] case of [[Marbury vs. Madison]].

Adam’s unpopularity while in office contributed to his defeat to Jefferson in 1800.

Adam’s unpopularity while in office contributed to his defeat to Jefferson in 1800.