The Alien and Sedition Acts Many citizens in the United States were frightened and angry about the French threat to their country, Adams being one of them. Fearful of another war starting and his people would protest, President Adams created the Alien and Sedition Acts, which were passed by congress in 1798 (“The Alien and Sedition Acts”). Many people reacted to these laws negatively because they thought that they were immensely unfair. The Federalists felt threatened by foreign citizens, therefore seeing them as a hazard to the security of the United States. Adams believed he was taking the right steps in order to protect his country from potential French danger, but all it did was outrage the very people he was trying to protect. These new, controversial laws were seen by many as ineffective and unreasonable, but the Federalists, …show more content…
The Alien Act said that aliens, or citizens born in another country, could be banished if they were assumed to be dangerous during this time (“Alien and Sedition Acts”). There were two other acts under the Alien Act, The Naturalization Act of 1798 and the The Alien Enemies Act. The Naturalization Act extended the amount of years a person had to be in the United States from 5 years to 14 years in order to be considered a citizen. This act also made people from enemy countries to be ineligible to become a citizen (Staff). The Alien Enemies Act is similar to the Alien Act, but this act says that aliens that are presumed to be dangerous could be imprisoned or expelled from the country during a time of war (“Alien and Sedition Acts”). The Sedition Act directly targeted the U.S. citizens. The President could fine or jail anyone who said, printed, or wrote anything scandalous, false, or malicious about the federal government and Congress or the president himself (Boyer). In passing these acts, the Federalists aimed to weaken the Republicans and to attempt to protect the
In 1798, the Alien and Sedition Acts were created under President John Adams due to tensions with France. The Sedition Act made it illegal for anyone to publish anything that could defame or speak badly of the United States government. The Alien and Sedition Acts were repealed after President Adams’ presidential term was over. The Espionage and Sedition Acts, created from 1914 through 1921, made it illegal to cause disloyalty in the military forces and also prohibited any opposition to the government and their decisions in war. These acts were declared unconstitutional. Both were repealed after conflicts died down. The U.S. Patriot Act, created to investigate and protect against terrorism, made it legal for the United States’ government to search the records of citizens without their
...roved and supported the scots-irish, french, and german immigrants. The thoughts on the Federalists were that they were monarchists tyrants power wanting aristocrats who would try their hardest to get rid of as many right of the common people as possible. They thought the Hamiltonians just wanted to turn America into a monarchy like their ally Britain. A Jeffersonians wrote a newspaper that called John Adams a “ blasted tyrant” their thoughts of the alien and sedition acts were they took rights away from the people so they were unconstitutional.
In the year of 1800, Jefferson ran for the second time averse to former president, John Adams. But unlike the previous election, when John Adams won the presidency, Jefferson was able to defeat John Adams. Adams lost the election due to passing the Alien and Sedition Acts, considered unconstitutional laws because the Acts took away the first amendment, freedom of speech. Jefferson was a more promising choice as he promised to have a “Republican Revolution”. Jefferson promised to help the yeoman farmer and decrease the Federal debt the United States had at the time.
That meant that President Adams’ success would only create more divide in his party and country (Smith 20). Subsequently during the Quasi War, President Adams signed the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798 (Gevinson). The idea of the acts was to suppress any French sympathizers in America and contain the growth of Republicans (Magill 48). Immigrants mainly became Republicans.
Anti –federalist believed that with out the bill of rights, the national government would became a to strong it would threating the americans peoples rights and libertys. Due to prior american revolution, ant-federalist did not forget what they fought for an believed that with a stronger national government, the president could become kind if he wanted. During this time people still feared a strong central government, due to british occupany of the states. Concidently the of people who wanted the bill of rights and were anti-federalist were famers and the working class, as to the fedarlist were extremely rich and powerful people Thomas Jeferson who was a active anti-federalist once wrote to james Madison A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular; and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inferences. (Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1787. ME 6:388, Papers
After the French and Indian war, the Britain saw a need for the “more centralized control” (Outline of U.S. History, 2011, p.52). They felt as necessary to eliminate any interference from the colonialists. The colonies on the other hand, expected more freedom and independence. Hence there was a forthcoming conflict. When the organization of Canada and Ohio valley would not adopt the policies to “alienate the French and Indian inhabitants, and British needed more money and land for settlement” (54) and fear of more war erupting, the restricting and taxation laws were passed. For example the Proclamation Act of 1763, Stamp Act of 1764 and others. Although some of these were passed to counter the other, it was still evident that there was a conflict between the colonialists and the British. General Thomas Gage commanded the garrison in Boston, and his main duty was to enforce the Coercive Act (57). His forces were raided the “minutemen and eight killed in the attack “(59), and pushed on to Concord. Soldiers were lost during the fight. The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and voted to go to war; Colonel Washington of Virginia was the Commander in Chief (59). Despite the break of war many people seen it has impossible to break the ties with England. At the end of that year, December 23, Thomas Paine, who had previously
The Alien and Sedition Acts were not merely intended for immigrants who spoke out against the government but more to detain the growth of the Democratic - Republican Party. These four Acts coercively lessoned the likelihood of the party mounting power by eliminating its majority group; soon to be citizens. Many issues led up to the creation of the Acts. This Cause and Effect can be traced all the way back to George Washington's Presidency; a few years after the creation of the Constitutional government after the Articles of Confederation were expulsed.
The Naturalization Act of 1790 was the first piece of United States federal legislation regarding immigration and it provided a national and uniformed rule for the process of naturalization. Under provisions of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, it granted citizenship to “all free white persons” after two years residence and provided that the children of citizens born outside the borders of the United States would be “considered as natural born citizens” (Naturalization Acts, United States, 1790-1795). This was an important piece of legislation that encouraged immigration necessary for the continued growth and prosperity of the republic. The individuals that it was intended to attract and protect were European whites, specifically men who would bring skills and participate in the emerging manufacturing and mining labor
The debate over the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 revealed bitter controversies on a number of issues that had been developing since the penning of the Constitution. The writers of the document knew that over time the needs of the nation and its people would change, and therefore provided for its amendment. But by not expressly delegating powers to specific organizations, whether the federal government, state governments, or the people themselves, they inadvertently created a major problem in the years to follow: Constitutional interpretation.Shortly after the Constitution's ratification, two distinct camps formed, each believing in opposite manners of interpretation. One group, the Federalists, led by the newly appointed Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, thought that the Constitution should be interpreted very loosely. He claimed that the Constitution contained powers other than those delegated or enumerated. These unspecified powers were implied powers.
During World War I, congress would authorize two controversial pieces of legislation: the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition act of 1918. The Espionage Act was ratified in order to “suppress the spread of alleged disloyalty and to maintain the public image of remarkable national unity behind the war effort” (James and Wells, 71). The act inhibited the freedom of speech and freedom of the press, and some of which seems the antithesis of the First Amendment of the Constitution. Most of the Espionage Act would be in effect only during times of war, but two of the provisions stayed in effect during times of peace.
President Jefferson work diligently with congress to change the Alien Acts to have a more relaxed naturalization for only requiring five years of residency achieve United States citizenship, instead of the previous fourteen years.
These acts were, of no questions asked, surly constitutional. The Federalist Party presented these acts, later consequently passed by Congress, because they were and fair and just laws in accordance to the nation at that time. For the sake of argument, the nation and government was very inexperienced, and did not know what to expect in their near future. John Adams became the second president of the United States of America, subsequently, having to accept many challenges and responsibilities to fulfill the job in office. He had the task of making sure that the newly founded nation kept running smooth. That is a big burden if there are activities going on in the country that one has no control, nor knowledge of (i.e. foreigners coming into the nation and starting trouble by disrupting the form of government, or having radicals trying to protest and perturb the running government in office-Federalists, at this time). John Adams was smart enough to realize the significance of these factors. Thus, taking his duty of President of USA seriously, he, along with the Federalist-controlled Congress, took action to protect the new country. Hence, were the creation and passing of the four, debate-causing laws (Naturalization, Alien, Alien Enemies, and Sedition Acts).
The United States Constitution and The Declaration of Independence are two of America 's most famous documents and most cherished symbols of liberty, however they are very different in their intents and themes, although both together laid the foundation for our independence as a nation. The Declaration of Independence proclaims the United States of America a free and independent nation that would no longer be under British Rule. The Constitution is the basis of the U.S. government. It can be rightly stated that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are best friends necessary in support for each other. There are two proofs necessary to make this argument: the first being, the Declaration requires limited, constitutional union
The alien and sedition act were four bills passed by the federalist party to protect the United States from unstable aliens in an ongoing conspiracy that the United States was going to war with France. The four bills were: Alien Enemies Act, Alien Friends Act, Naturalization Act and Sedition Act. The Aliens Enemies Act states “If any persons shall unlawfully combine or conspire together with intent to oppose any measure or measures of the government of the United States…or intimidate any person holding a place or office…from undertaking, performing or executing his trust or duty… shall be deemed guilty of high misdemeanor and on conviction before any court of the United States… therefore shall be punished by fine and imprisonment.” This proves that anyone who is from other nation during this time that posed a threat to “national security” will be sent to prison before a hearing. The punishment was a fine and serving time in prison which were decided by the federalist party even though it was unconstitutional. The federalists not only passed the alien enemies act but it also approved of the alien friends act.
Before the year of 1783, America was not the America we know today but rather a separated set of thirteen colonies in which were under British rule rather than having their own independence as “America.” On September 3, 1783 things changed for the colonies after a long fight with Britain over independence and what became America had gained a signed Declaration of Independence thus allowing the 13 colonies to join together. Despite their earned independence, America was not perfect in upholding their "natural born rights" as given by the Declaration of Independence, the largest gain from the Revolutionary War. The ideas of freedom of speech, right to vote, and the limitations of these rights were in question for decades after.