Complete the poster, which urges state legislatures to nullify the Alien and Sedition Acts. Include at least two reasons for nullification and one illustration on your poster.

Question

Guest

Social Studies

7 January, 15:43

Complete the poster, which urges state legislatures to nullify the Alien and Sedition Acts. Include at least two reasons for nullification and one illustration on your poster.

+2

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Elsie · Answer 1

For being unconstitutional, for violation of freedom of speech and press, violation of civil liberties

Explanation:

The fear of enemy spies infiltrating American society got the Federalist majority in Congress during Adams administration to pass four new laws, The Naturalization Act, Alien Enemies Act, Alien Friends Act and Sedition Act in June & July 1798 and collectively know as Alien and Sedition Acts.

Under the Naturalization Act, the congress increased residency requirements for U. S. citizenship to 14 years from 5years while Sedition Act banned the publishing of false or malicious writings against the Federalist-dominated government. The Alien Enemies Act allows the Adams' government to arrest and deport all male citizens of the enemy nation in the event of war, while the Alien Friends Act permitted the government to deport any non-citizen suspected of plotting against the government. Before the enactment of Sedition Act, the Minority Republican in the congress disagreed with the laws on the basis it violated the First Amendment to the Constitution, which protected freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Jefferson struck on the idea of getting sympathetic state legislatures to pass resolutions as a way to respond to the Alien and Sedition Acts Acts. They were an early defense of the Constitution's protection of civil liberties, especially freedom of speech and of the Press.

In 1798 the Virginia and Kentucky gave Resolutions as responses to the Alien and Sedition Acts. The then future Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison drafted the resolutions in secret because of fear of arrest and condemned the Alien and Sedition Acts as unconstitutional and claimed that because these Acts overstepped federal authority under the Constitution, they were null and void.

By 1801, the Laws except Alien Enemies Act were repealed and nullified for its unconstitutionality. The Alien Elemis Acts included women citizens of other nations to be deported.