Primary Document Analysis: Alien and Sedition Acts
Along with the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions The Alien and Sedition Acts were signed by then-President John Adams on June 18, 1798, roughly eleven years after the signing of the current U.S. Constitution. It was done during a time of heightened tensions between the United States and European countries. These four new laws were designed to give new powers to the President regarding immigrants, also known as aliens. It was not long after the enforcement of these laws that dispute arose from them. All fifty U.S. states were trying to grasp these laws and figure out what do about them. People quickly thought that the four laws were unconstitutional, and something had to be done about it.
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The Act was dealing with crimes against the United States condemning people who opposed the government in any way, whether they conspired with several people or just one. With that, the law continued with stating that people weren’t allowed to say, publish, or do any other form that would go against the federal government. It goes through a long list of things not permitted. Along with this, the Naturalization Act was created. The Naturalization Act made it take longer before immigrants could vote. It was stated in UShistory.com’s the webpage “Alien and Sedition Acts” that instead of it being five years to vote, they would have to wait until fourteen years to …show more content…
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the Kentucky Resolution agreed with what Madison said in the Virginia Resolution on the fact that the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. Jefferson also thought that measures are needed to address this situation. His suggestion was to allow States to nullify laws. If they nullified laws, they are essentially getting rid of laws enforced by Congress that they feel are unconstitutional. Nothing was really done to address the Alien and Sedition Acts until Thomas Jefferson was elected President in 1801. Under his authority, much of Alien and Sedition Acts were discarded. According to History.com’s web article “Alien and Sedition Acts” during future wars, the Sedition Act seemed to come back to
A state resolution passed in 1798. Written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in 1798 and 1799 declaring the Alien and Sedition Acts unconstitutional, the resolution supported the idea of having more self government and more rights for states. Opposing the Alien and Sedition Acts which extended the powers of the federal national. The resolution hinted that states had the power to nullify federal laws that were
Yet, Jefferson violated the acts of Sedition and the federalist’s Alien. By accomplishing the Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson, overturned his principles against strict interpretation of powers. The agreement was not precisely listed as a direct right of the federal government in the Constitution. Violating his constitutional principles, Jefferson indicated that the Constitution would accept the purchase of new territories, and the creation of newly acquired territories as conclusive states, and he also used a certain perspective of the executive branches powers by using the President and the Senate’s power to accept the deal together without the need of Congress’s approval.
“By the last years of the 1790s, the prospect of war with France and Federalist security measures such as the Alien and Sedition Acts brought the nation to the brink of political upheaval” (Nash, p. 214-215). The acts were controversial and leads into a political debate. The Kentucky assembly stated that the acts violated the Bill of Rights. They wanted to get rid of Federal laws, however, this was not the first time they have done this action. People believed that the acts were unconstitutional and unfair.
In the Virginia Resolutions of 1798, author James Madison protests against the unconstitutional Alien and Sedition Acts recently passed by Congress. The Sedition Act not only made conspiracy and revolt illegal, but also criminalized any speech or writings against the President or Congress. The Alien Act first extended the waiting period to achieve citizenship from five to fourteen years and required all aliens to register with the federal government. Secondly, the Alien Act empowered the president during war to deport or imprison (without a trial) any foreigner suspected of being a danger.
He wanted that the constitution respect their first amendment that was have the liberty of freedom, and it is shown that he was finding a resolution to this. Also another book tells that the real resource were Thomas Jefferson written all the resolution of the constitution were burned. “The original record of the Kentucky Resolutions was lost by fire, and for many years it has
President John Adams and the Alien and Sedition Acts President John Adams was elected in 1797, as the second President of the United States. His inauguration came at a time of transition in American society, as the new nation was still adjusting to its independence. Political parties divided the nation, and citizens divided the parties. Federalists split between Conservatives and Moderates, as everyone had their own ideas on the limits of freedom. The Adams Administration represented this division as it was a mixed administration — Adams was a Federalist but his vice-president, Thomas Jefferson, was a Democratic-Republican with very different ideas about how government should be run.
Presidential and Congressional Reconstruction: After the war had ended the North needed to take the task of reconstruction of the south. Even before the war had ended Lincoln issued the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction in 1863. This was an oath that southerners had to take which said “Southerners could be pardoned and reinstated as U.S. citizens if they took an oath of allegiance to the Constitution and the Union and pledged to abide by emancipation.
By the spring of 1865, the Civil War came to an end and there were many important challenging questions the nation was faced with. A few included how could the south physically and economically be rebuilt, what should be done with the newly freedmen and women, and who would direct the process of reconstruction? President Lincoln, President Johnson, and the radical republicans (congressional) each constructed a plan they believed would be best for the nation. The congressional plan best helped the nation and freedmen due to passed legislation such as the Pacific Railroad Act, Civil Rights Bill that granted American citizenship to blacks, and had goal of destroying the Black Codes, that isolated blacks from society.
The State's installed the Alien and Sedition acts in order to heighten security. The Sedition Act made it became illegal to talk bad about the government and the Alien act- extended the amount of time someone needed to be in the States to be considered an American citizen, it used to be 5 years in the States but then it became 14 years. This doesn’t really hold up what the Constitution truly says, it states, “Establish justice. Insure domestic tranquility”.
It was later signed into law by the United States of America’s first president, President George Washington, on September 24, 1789 (ourdocuments.gov). Ellsworth and Paterson viewed the act as a work in progress, and they always meant for it to be expanded upon at a later time in the future. Even though it has been amended throughout the many years that it has been around, the very foundation of the act has still remained primarily
Congress showed political divide during John Adams term in office because, during his term, Congress made the Alien and Sedition Acts that were meant to help immigrant become citizens with right to vote within 5 to 14 years, and the Sedition Act was made to stop rebellion against the government, but Republicans felt like their party was being attacked due to most immigrants voting for Republicans and the Sedition Act was just punishing Republican newspaper editors who insulted Adams. According to History Alive, "Since most immigrants voted Republican, Jefferson saw this law as an attack on his party...and the Sedition Act was used to punish Republican newspaper editors who delighted in insulting Adams" (Hart-159). This quote reveals that there
In the midst of the Cold War and the civil rights movement, an immigration act was passed that would greatly impact the future of America. On October 3, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 on Liberty Island. Also known as the Hart-Cellar Act, it changed the preference system in the United States’ immigration policy to make it more fair for immigrants of all origins. The idea for the act was made by President John F. Kennedy, but he was assassinated before he was able to pass the bill. As a result, Johnson was adamant about the need for the act and worked with Congress to get it passed.
Japanese Americans were finally free to return to their homes on December 17,1944 although most of the internment camps did not close till October 1946. A lot of those who were forced into the internment camps lost their homes and possessions to say nothing of their personal liberties and freedoms that was supposed to be guaranteed by the United States Constitution. Their properties had been seized for nonpayment of taxes or otherwise appropriated. Even if they had homes to go back to their homes and lands were marked by the violence and agitation of the Americans, despite the fact that not a single documented act of disloyalty by a person of Japanese ancestry was reported during World War 2.. As they started over, meeting waves of hostility,
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is hailed by many as one of the most important legislations in the American history. The act was passed into law 52 years ago under a lot of pressure and resistance from white senators and African American activists. The act, which was largely known as the “Bill of the century” was aimed at bringing equality for blacks and whites and end racial prejudice. The act was targeted to revolutionize America where blacks and whites would eat together in the same hotels and enjoy similar rights in public places without any discrimination.
It was signed on September 3, 1783 and was eventually ratified on January 14, 1784 by the congress. As a result, the colonies were able to gain their independence from Great Britain and were able to become The United States of America. After the war had ended, the British army accepted their defeat and freed American territory. America was now able to grow in the new country because of the ideas in the Declaration of