History
HISTORY 130-TAKE HOME EXAM
UNIT 3-JOHN ADAMS THROUGH ANDREW JACKSON
1.) One of the greatest threats to the rights given in the new constitution was the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts. Explain these acts, which they were targeting, what was done about them. What was the President's and Vice-President's reaction to them? Why?
In 1798 the Federalist congress engineered three acts to hinder the impact of immigrants in the United States. The Alien Act gave the president the power to deport any foreigner he deemed "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States." This act arbitrarily gave the president the power to imprison or deport any immigrant who stepped out of line. Later that same year, the federalist congress passed the Sedition Act to silence the Jeffersonian press. This act outlawed any printed, published, or spoken criticism of the presidency. Any slander was to be considered as "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States." Furthermore, the federalist congress gave the act the power to all forms of government, stating that "it is patriotism to write in favour of our government, it is sedition to write against it." As expected, most of the defendants in the fifteen cases brought by federal authorities under the Sedition Acts were prominent Republican newspaper editors.
Thomas Jefferson, republican vice president, received a pamphlet written by James Callender, criticizing federalist policies and actions. He responded, discreetly approving the pamphlet, but shamefully, denied recognition fearing that his mail would be screened. Callender was later caught, fined $200, and sentenced to nine months in jail by the federalist judges. Republican asserted that the Alien and Sedition Acts violated the Bill of Rights, but Congress and the federalist judiciary, controlled as they were by Adams loyalists, paid no attention. In response to this, Jefferson and Madison took their cases...
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