Antecedent: Something that came before something else and may have influenced or caused it.
Jingoism: Extreme patriotism, esp. in the form of aggressive or warlike foreign policy.
Lafayette: Marquis Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette – yes, that is really his full
name – (1757–1834) was a French soldier and statesman. He fought alongside the colonists in the
American Revolution.
Recourse: With no alternatives.
Ostensibly: Apparently, but perhaps not actually.
THE ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS, 1798 Naturalization Act Required an immigrant to live in the U.S. for l4 years before becoming a citizen Alien Act Allowed the President to expel foreigners from the U.S. if the President believes they are dangerous to the nation's peace and safety Alien Enemies Act Allowed the President to imprison or expel foreigners considered dangerous in time of war or invasion Sedition Act Barred American citizens from saying, writing, or publishing any false, scandalous, or malicious statements about the U.S. government, Congress, or the President Answer the question below: Were the Alien and Sedition Acts constitutional? Why or why not? President John Adams The XYZ Affair & Undeclared War with France •
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When Adams came into office, he had to deal with the French. The French saw Jay’s Treaty (1794) as the Americans helping the British, so they seized US ships heading for Britain. Adams wanted to avoid war, so in 1797 he sent a delegation to Paris to try to resolve the problem, but the French foreign minister (Charles de Talleyrand) refused to meet with them. Instead, Talleyrand sent three agents—known only as X, Y, and Z—who demanded a bribe, presumably for Talleyrand himself, and a large loan for France. The American people were incensed and Adams was furious. Adams encouraged Congress to prepare for war. After the XYZ affair, the U.S. is often described as being in an undeclared war with France. Congress responded to the XYZ affair with a program to strengthen the armed forces. It o Established the Navy Department in April 1798. o Set aside money for building warships. o Increased the size of the army. The Alien & Sedition Acts •
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Additionally, with fear of foreign intrigue conducted against the government, Congress and the President created the Naturalization Act and the Alien Friends and Enemies Acts. o Naturalization Act: Changed the requirements for becoming a citizen from two years of residence to fourteen years of residence. o Alien Friends and Enemies Acts: Gave the President the power to detain or deport any non-­‐citizen; And without trial; Or Congressional oversight; And in secret. ! (When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt interred Japanese-­‐
Americans during the Second World War, he did so with powers granted under the Alien Acts.) The Jeffersonians/Republicans freaked out. o They saw the acts as a direct attack on their constituency (immigrants tended to side with the Republicans). With little evidence to actually support Federalist fears, the government gave itself unchecked power. o The Republicans raised a fuss, accusing the government of trying to resurrect King George’s monarchy on American soil. •
On July 14, 1798, the Federalist controlled Congress passed the Sedition Act: Made it a crime to speak ill of the government with the intent to defame, or injure. o While the Sedition Act made it illegal only to speak lies about the government, it in effect served to quiet opposition entirely. With the burden of proving one's innocence in a court of law (and with a Supreme Court entirely peopled by Federalists) newspapers and politicians could ill-­‐afford to risk their career and livelihood in jail. Federalists in John Adams’ cabinet aggressively pursued allegations of sedition, supplied by a network of informants. o Curiously, the Sedition Act only protected the congress and the President from slander, while exposing the Vice-­‐President (Thomas Jefferson) to the slings and arrows of the press. o The Sedition Act was designed as a “temporary emergency power” and expired when Adams left office. o More accurately, the Sedition Act was designed to give the Federalists leverage in the coming election, expiring on the chance that Adams couldn't hold on to office (he didn't). Domestic & Foreign Affairs •
In response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison drafted emergency measures to defeat what they saw as blind tyranny. o They drafted the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (respectively), which pushed for individual states’ rights over federal jurisdiction. o Fearing federal power, the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions proposed to give individual states the ability to ignore laws that they felt unfairly persecuted their citizenry. While a just sentiment in light of a blatant abuse of power, the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions fueled the South's cause for succession some sixty years later. No More President Adams •
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In 1800, the French agreed to a treaty with Adams and stopped attacks on American ships. o This hurt Adams’ reelection campaign because the American people felt that he looked weak. Hamilton and other Adams supporters turned against the president and caused a split in the Federalist Party = Republican Thomas Jefferson wins the election in 1800.