Final answer:
President Washington's response to the Whiskey Rebellion established federal authority by demonstrating the government's ability to enforce law and order. The Federalist government's Alien and Sedition Acts were seen as attempts to suppress opposition. In foreign policy, President Adams supported Toussaint's leadership in Haiti by lifting the trade embargo.
Step-by-step explanation:
President George Washington's suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion was an important historical event that showcased the resolve of the nascent United States federal government to enforce its laws and maintain order. An excise tax on whiskey had been enacted as part of a larger Federalist plan to centralize authority and stabilize national finances, but it ignited fierce opposition among Western farmers and distillers. Aligned with Jeffersonian Republicans and seeing the tax as an affront to their liberties, these 'whiskey rebels' protested vehemently. Washington responded by raising a militia to quell the rebellion, ultimately demonstrating to both domestic and international observers that the United States would uphold its laws, thus solidifying federal authority.
The Alien and Sedition Acts, seen by many as a Federalist overreach, targeted immigrants and Republican writers critical of the government. These acts, along with Washington's strong-arm tactics during the rebellion, increased partisanship, with Republicans like Jefferson viewing them as evidence of Federalist desires to subvert republican values and amass power.
Moving to the international scene, the situation in Haiti caught John Adams' attention. He supported lifting the trade embargo with the Toussaint-led Haiti, thus acknowledging its move towards independence and commerce over French colonial interests, despite the disapproval of American slaveholders.