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Alien and Sedition Acts (view source)
Revision as of 13:27, October 5, 2007
, 13:27, October 5, 2007created
The '''Alien and Sedition Acts''' (1798) were four separate acts passed by the [[Federalist]] controlled U.S. Congress during John Adams administration as America prepared for a possible war with [[France]]. <ref> http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Alien.html</ref> The four measures limited freedom of the [[press]] and speech and restricted the activities of aliens, particularly [[French]] and [[Irish]].<ref>Paul Johnson, A History of the American People, page. 240</ref> The acts were an extremely divisive issue between [[Federalist]] and the [[Democrat]]-[[Republican]] party.
The Sedition of Act of 1798 made illegal to criticize the government of the United States under penalty of fines and/or imprisonment. In the most early instance of the acts usage, Luther Bladwin, a New Jersey citizen, was convected for and fined $100 for wishing that a wad from a presidential saluting-cannon hit Adams.
[[Thomas Jefferson]], and his friend [[James Madison]], authored a resolution which declared the Alien and Sedition Acts unconstitutional, because individual states "have the right and are duty bound to interpose for arresting of the evil." The resolution passed through the [[Virginia]] and [[Kentucky]] legislatures and became the first instance of individual states "nullification" of a "unauthorized acts". <ref>Paul Johnson, A History of the American People, page. 240</ref>
[[Category: United States History]]
The Sedition of Act of 1798 made illegal to criticize the government of the United States under penalty of fines and/or imprisonment. In the most early instance of the acts usage, Luther Bladwin, a New Jersey citizen, was convected for and fined $100 for wishing that a wad from a presidential saluting-cannon hit Adams.
[[Thomas Jefferson]], and his friend [[James Madison]], authored a resolution which declared the Alien and Sedition Acts unconstitutional, because individual states "have the right and are duty bound to interpose for arresting of the evil." The resolution passed through the [[Virginia]] and [[Kentucky]] legislatures and became the first instance of individual states "nullification" of a "unauthorized acts". <ref>Paul Johnson, A History of the American People, page. 240</ref>
[[Category: United States History]]