D) They were aimed at people who were criticizing President Adams' foreign policy.
Adams was criticized for his neutrality in conflicts between Britain and France as well as how he handled the XYZ Affair. The Alien and Sedition Acts were meant to protect the reputation of the federal government and prevent people with extreme views from entering the country.
The Sedition Act allowed for punishment for those that spoke out against the government. Federalists like John Adams believed negative speech about the government showed weakness of the new government to the world. He believed that the US needed to show support of the government. The Alien Act was put into place to limit the rights of new immigrants entering into the US. Adams was fearful that immigrants would introduce extreme ideas coming out of the French Revolution. The Alien and Sedition Acts were met with fierce resistance and criticism. The critics led by Thomas Jefferson would form the Democratic-Republican Party to counter a growing Federalist power.
