The second president of the United States of America was John Adams. He was born on Oct. 30, 1735 in Braintree, Massachusetts. His party affiliation was the Federalist. His nickname was "Atlas of Independence." His vice president was Thomas Jefferson and he was in office for one term. One major thing that he was noted for was adding E Pluribus Unum to all of the American coins and relocated the U.S. capital to Washington D.C. from Philadelphia.
             The XYZ affair is what basically started the French war. It all started when Adams sent a mission of diplomats to France (the president never traveled anywhere over seas because the risks were too great) to make a peace treaty. The mission never got to France. Instead agents of Charles Talleyrand, the French foreign minister, approached the diplomats. The agents stated that the United States could make reparations for its alleged injuries to the country of France by paying a huge bribe to Talleyrand and financing a large loan to the French government. These terms were so great and dishonorable that the diplomats rejected them. When Adams heard news, he tried to keep it a secret, but Jefferson's pro French Republicans accused him of suppressing information that was favorable to France. In the end he had to reveal the bad news.
             With tension growing between the two countries, Adams ordered an expansion of the Army. He also created a department of the Navy and commissioned the building of naval fighting ships. Also George Washington was called out of retirement to lead the Army with Alexander Hamilton in second command. By the end of 1798 more than a dozen men-of-war had been launched and an undeclared naval war had begun with the French. Even though Adams didn't really like these vast military preparations, he went along with the nation's wishes.
             Adams passed the Alien and Sedition Act. This is actually series of laws. It was passed in 1798. The Alien and Sedit...