ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS BY ALEC VANHORN MY

ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS BY: ALEC VANHORN

MY RESEARCH QUESTIONS: • What were the alien and sedition acts?

WHAT WERE THE ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS? The Alien and Sedition Acts consisted of four laws passed by the Federalist-controlled Congress. It was signed into law by John Adams in 1798. These acts were made to prepare for war with France. These acts increased the residency requirement for American citizenship from five to fourteen years, authorized the president to imprison or deport aliens considered, “Dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States. “ It also restricted speech critical of the government.

WHEN AND WHERE DID THE ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS TAKE PLACE? The Alien and Sedition Acts were signed into act in 1798 by John Adams. Congress repealed the Naturalization Act in 1802, while the other acts were allowed to expire. This act took place in everywhere in the United States.

WHY DID THE ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS GO INTO LAW? They designed it to limit the power of the opposition Republican Party, but enforcement ended after Thomas Jefferson was elected president in 1800. Negative reaction to the Alien and Sedition Acts helped contribute to the Republican victory in the 1800 elections. Congress repealed the Naturalization Act in 1802, while the other acts were allowed to expire.

WHO MADE THE ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS? John Adams signed the Alien and Sedition Acts in law, but the Federalists designed it. They designed it to limit the power of the opposition Republican Party, but enforcement ended after Thomas Jefferson was elected president in 1800.

CAUSE AND EFFECT OF THE ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS? The cause to make the law was because a lot of immigrants were getting into America too easily and becoming U. S. citizens. Also because it was to limit the power of the opposition Republican Party. The effect of the Alien and Sedition Act was to drown out all political criticism of the Republican Party.

RESTRICTED SPEECH SEDITION • 1798 Sedition Act passed by Federalist-dominated Congress mainly to silence opposition newspapers • Sedition Act allowed truth as a defense, required trial by jury • But Republican opponents argued the act was a grave offense to the free speech guarantees of the First Amendment • First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law. . . abridging the freedom of speech”. • Debate over Sedition Act began to establish a more modern understanding of the meaning of free speech

CITATIONS • Encyclopedia Citation: • Di. Canio, Teddi. "Alien and Sedition Acts: 1798. " Encyclopedia. com. High. Beam Research, 1 Jan. 2002. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. <http: //www. encyclopedia. com/topic/Alien_a • Primary Citation: • "Primary Documents in American History. " Alien and Sedition Acts: Primary Documents of American History (Virtual Programs & Services, Library of Congress). N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. <http: //www. loc. gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Alien. html • Other Source Citation: • "The Alien and Sedition Acts. " ushistory. org. Independence Hall Association, n. d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. <http: //www. ushistory. org/us/19 e. asp>. • Other Source Citation: • "Home. " Our Documents. N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Feb. 2014. <http: //www. ourdocuments. gov/doc. php? flash=true&doc=16>.