There was a ghost hunting the United States, the ghost of war with France. In the late years of the 1790s, there were strong fears of such a war that was deemed very likely. So, in order to be able to find and punish spies, and to improve security, the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed by Congress at the request of the John Quincy Adams administration. The acts were highly impopular because they were seen as restricting and affecting liberties and citizen rights, and giving too much power to the federal government .
