When he became president in 1797, John Adams was confronted with intense partisan divides, debates over citizenship, fears of political violence, potential for foreign conflict, and a nation unsure that the presidency could even work without George Washington at the helm. Historian Lindsay M. Chervinsky surveys the second U.S. presidency, a period critical to the survival of the republic, and examines how Adams met these unique challenges and how he shaped the office for his successors.