er accepted, however,the "high" Federalist biases toward commercial growth and government by "the rich, thewell-born, and the able." Although his own presidency (1797-1801) was a troubled one, Adams made uniquely important contributions during his term as chief executive. He managedorderly transitions of power at both the beginning and the end of hisadministration, and he gave the government stability by continuing most of thepractices established under Washington.The major crisis he faced, however, arose from strained relations with revolutionaryFrance. When, in the so-called XYZ Affair (1797-98), American peace commissionersreturned from Paris with lurid stories of deceit and bribery, Adams called for an assertionof national pride, built up the armed forces, and even accepted the Alien and SeditionActs as emergency national security measures. With his opponents (led by Jefferson)charging oppression and some of his own Federalist Party (led by Hamilton) urging warand conquest, Adams kept his nerve and, when the opportunity arose, dispatched anotherpeace commission to France. This defused the crisis and led in 1800 to an agreementwith France that ended the so-called Quasi-War. Nonetheless, deserted by Hamilton andother Federalists who disapproved of his independent course, and attacked by theJeffersonian Republicans as a vain monarchist, Adams was forced out of office after oneterm.When he and Abigail returned to Massachusetts, they moved into a comfortable butunpretentious house in Quincy (it is known today and open to visitors as the AdamsNational Historic Site) they had bought 12 years before. There, tending to his fields,visiting with neighbors, and enjoying his family, John Adams lived for 25 years as a sageand national patriarch. Of his numerous correspondences, the cherished 14-year(1812-26) one with Jefferson became a literary legacy to the nation. Although thedebilitation’s of old age and the death of his...
