The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798) were four laws passed by Federalists that restricted the activities of foreign residents in the country, allowed the government to deport foreigners seen as "dangerous", made it difficult for immigrants to vote, requiring them to reside for 14 years in the U.S. to become eligible to vote, and it prohibited public opposition to the government.
1. What led to the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts?
The Acts were passed after the diplomatic incident called "XYZ Affair" that almost involved the United States and France in war. Facing French foreign threat, the Federalist President Adams created the acts as a way to prevent subversion in the United States against governmental measures.
2. What made them so controversial?
The Acts, especially the Sedition Act, were so controversial because it violated people's rights of freedom of speech and of the press protected under the First Amendment. Under the acts, anyone who wrote, printed, uttered or published any writing seen as false, scandalous and malicious against the government could be imprisoned or would have to pay fines.
