AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Alien & Sedition Acts (Day 75/309)

Welcome to today’s explanation of the Alien and Sedition Acts in my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

John Adams, The White House Historical Association

In the election of 1796, Federalists took control of the executive and legislative branches. John Adams became President and Federalists had a majority in both houses of Congress.

'The Neglected Tar': a press gang seizing a seaman (caricature), Wikimedia Commons

Quickly, anti-French sentiments grew due to the French impressments of American sailors, their lack of respect for American neutrality, the XYZ Affair and subsequent Quasi War.

An Act Concerning Aliens, National Archives

In response to the conflict, Federalists passed new legislation called the Alien and Sedition Acts. The laws made naturalization more difficult, authorized the president to deport and detain aliens, and made criticism of the government illegal.

Cartoon depicting a fight in Congress regarding the Alien and Sedition Acts, 1798, Britannica

Democratic-Republicans argued the new laws violated the 1st Amendment. Kentucky and Virginia passed resolutions to nullify, or void, the acts. This demonstrated one of the first examples of the conflict between federal authority and states’ rights.

Through the Alien and Sedition Acts, Congress attempted to quash criticism of the government as well as the influence of immigrants. Many Americans opposed the new legislation as it infringed upon their First Amendment rights.

Join me tomorrow as we head to APUSH Period 4 with the Election of 1800 in our next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!