<P> Hamilton distrusted Vice President Adams--who felt the same way about Hamilton--but was unable to block his claims to the succession . The election of 1796 was the first partisan affair in the nation's history and one of the more scurrilous in terms of newspaper attacks . Adams swept New England and Jefferson the South, with the middle states leaning to Adams . Adams was the winner by a margin of three electoral votes and Jefferson, as the runner - up, became Vice President under the system set out in the Constitution prior to the ratification of the 12th Amendment . </P> <P> The Federalists were strongest in New England, but also had strengths in the middle states . They elected Adams as President in 1796, when they controlled both houses of Congress, the presidency, eight state legislatures and ten governorships . </P> <P> Foreign affairs continued to be the central concern of American politics, for the war raging in Europe threatened to drag in the United States . The new President was a loner, who made decisions without consulting Hamilton or other "High Federalists". Benjamin Franklin once quipped that Adams was a man always honest, often brilliant and sometimes mad . Adams was popular among the Federalist rank and file, but had neglected to build state or local political bases of his own and neglected to take control of his own cabinet . As a result, his cabinet answered more to Hamilton than to himself . Hamilton was especially popular because he rebuilt the Army--and had commissions to give out . </P> <P> After an American delegation was insulted in Paris in the XYZ affair (1797), public opinion ran strongly against the French . An undeclared "Quasi-War" with France from 1798 to 1800 saw each side attacking and capturing the other's shipping . It was called "quasi" because there was no declaration of war, but escalation was a serious threat . At the peak of their popularity, the Federalists took advantage by preparing for an invasion by the French Army . To silence Administration critics, the Federalists passed the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798 . The Alien Act empowered the President to deport such aliens as he declared to be dangerous . The Sedition Act made it a crime to print false, scandalous and malicious criticisms of the federal government, but it conspicuously failed to criminalize criticism of Vice President Thomas Jefferson . </P>

Who were federalists and what did they believe