In 1798, during the crisis with France, Federalists pushed several laws through Congress. These laws were known as the Alien and Sedition Acts. Under the Alien Act, the President could expel any alien, or foreigner, thought to be dangerous to the country. Another law made it harder for immigrants to become citizens. Before 1798, white immigrants could become citizens after living in the United States for five years. The new law made immigrants wait 14 years. The Federalists passed this act because many recent immigrants supported Jefferson and the Democratic Republicans. The act would keep these immigrants from voting for years. The Democratic Republicans grew even angrier when Congress passed the Sedition Act. Sedition means stirring up rebellion against a government. Under this law, citizens could be fined or jailed if they criticized the government or its officials. In fact, several Democratic Republican newspaper editors, and even members of Congress, were fined and jailed for expressing their opinions. Democratic Republicans protested that the Sedition Act violated the Constitution. The First Amendment, they argued, protected freedom of speech and of the press. Jefferson warned that the new laws threatened American liberties:

Question

In 1798, during the crisis with France, Federalists pushed several laws through Congress. These laws were known as the Alien and Sedition Acts. Under the Alien Act, the President could expel any alien, or foreigner, thought to be dangerous to the country. Another law made it harder for immigrants to become citizens. Before 1798, white immigrants could become citizens after living in the United States for five years. The new law made immigrants wait 14 years. The Federalists passed this act because many recent immigrants supported Jefferson and the Democratic Republicans. The act would keep these immigrants from voting for years. The Democratic Republicans grew even angrier when Congress passed the Sedition Act. Sedition means stirring up rebellion against a government. Under this law, citizens could be fined or jailed if they criticized the government or its officials. In fact, several Democratic Republican newspaper editors, and even members of Congress, were fined and jailed for expressing their opinions. Democratic Republicans protested that the Sedition Act violated the Constitution. The First Amendment, they argued, protected freedom of speech and of the press. Jefferson warned that the new laws threatened American liberties:

They have brought into the lower house a sedition bill, which . . . undertakes to make
printing certain matters criminal . . . Indeed this bill & the alien bill both are so [against]
the Constitution as to show they mean to pay no respect to it.
—The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, 1798

Briefly summarize three main points of the Allen & Sedition Acts:
The president could _______ any alien (foreigner) who was thought to be ______________

Answer 1

to the country. The Alien Act also made it harder for immigrants to become citizens, increasing the waiting period from 5 to 14 years. The Sedition Act made it illegal to ___________ the government or its officials, and those who did so could be fined or jailed.