John Adams Administration - Adams and Congress

Adams and Congress

Adams was in office during the Fifth and Sixth Congresses, in which the Federalists had a slight majority. Adams believed strongly in the separation of powers and did not try to interfere with the work of Congress. Although he occasionally disagreed with legislation, Adams was the first of seven presidents who never exercised the veto power.

At a time when British and French attacks on U.S. ships threatened both her independence and commerce, Adams was committed to strengthening the U.S. Navy. He once told the Boston Marine Society that "Floating Batteries and Wooden Walls have been my favorite System of Warfare and Defense. . . for three and twenty years" (Brown, p. 72). In both his inaugural address and early congressional addresses, Adams asked Congress to join his commitment to naval expansion. Congress refrained at first, waiting for the result of Adams's first diplomatic mission to France, but...

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