Alien and Sedition Acts

Religion Assemble Petition Press Speech

FIRST AMENDMENT shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances

FIRST AMENDMENT religion assembly press petition speech

ALIEN a person from another country who has moved to America but has not become a citizen yet

France and Great Britain 4. What two countries wanted the United States to take sides in their disagreement? France and Great Britain 5. Who were the major US Federalist political leaders at this time? George Washington, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton

the mob rule and confiscation of property 6. What did they want to create and for who? Create a stable, secure country, safe for business and wealthy men of property 7. What did they dislike about the French Revolution? the mob rule and confiscation of property

poor farmers, craftsmen, and recent immigrants 8. Who were the major US Anti-Federalist political leaders at this time? Thomas Jefferson and James Madison 9. Who did they represent? poor farmers, craftsmen, and recent immigrants

DEMOCRATIC IDEALS TOOK A NEUTRAL STANCE 10. What did they support about the French Revolution? DEMOCRATIC IDEALS 11. Which side did George Washington and John Adams take between Great Britain and France? TOOK A NEUTRAL STANCE

required the president and vice-president to run together FOR ELECTION 12. What did the 12th Amendment do? required the president and vice-president to run together FOR ELECTION 13. How did the American people feel about the X, Y, Z Affair? sympathies toward France began to wane concerned with the rise of Napoleon and French attempts to spread their revolution in Europe, AND Rumors of French invasion and enemy spies frightened many Americans

to weaken Jefferson’s Democrat-Republican Party 14. What reason did the Federalist give for passing the Alien and Sedition Acts? to make the United States more secure from alien spies and domestic traitors. 15. What is an ALIEN? a person from another country who has moved to America but is not a citizen yet 16. What was the other reason they were passed? to weaken Jefferson’s Democrat-Republican Party

17. Who were these acts aimed at (what groups of people) (3)? aimed at immigrants, male citizens of an enemy nation, and any non-citizen suspected of plotting against the government during either wartime or peacetime 18. How did it change the time requirement to becoming a citizen? 5 to 14 years

19. What could happen to you if you violated these laws. (3 things) 19. What could happen to you if you violated these laws? (3 things)? arrested, detained, and/or deported (sent back to their home country) 20. How many people were charged under the Alien Enemies and Friends Acts? None

21. What does SEDITION mean 21. What does SEDITION mean? inciting others to resist or rebel against lawful authority 22. What did The Sedition Act make it illegal to do? outlawed conspiracies--made it illegal for anyone to express malicious writings against the government and punished any spoken or published words that had “bad intent” to “defame” the government

23. What were the penalties for violating The Sedition Act 23. What were the penalties for violating The Sedition Act? six months to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000 24. How did Thomas Jefferson define free speech? the right of Americans “to think freely and to speak and write what they think.”

25.Male ages 14 and up who are not citizens of the United states and are citizens of a country we are at war with

26. No -only during war time

27. No

28. The courts

29. They could be given a fine of up to $5,000 dollars and a jail term of 6 months to 5 years

30. Circle A, B, and C

31. To keep people from criticizing them and to weaken the Democrat- Republican party

32. Yes 33. March 3, 1801 34. YES—ASSEMBLY-PETITION-PRESS- SPEECH

CASE STUDY 1—MATHEW LYON 35. first person to be tried under the Sedition Act 36. Republican congressman --objected to paying a land tax to pay for war preparations. 37. wrote a letter published in a Republican newspaper criticizing President Adams

38. indicted and tried for intentionally stirring up hatred against Adams 39. jury found Lyon guilty of expressing seditious words with “bad intent.” 40. four months in jail, a $1,000 fine, and court costs

41. ran for re-election to Congress from his jail cell and won--When he was released from jail he was welcomed back as a hero--Efforts to expel him from Congress failed 42. Your opinion with evidence

Case study 2—William duane 43 Case study 2—William duane 43. Democratic-Republican editor of the Philadelphia newspaper, Aurora 44. published the text of the proposed bill to change vote counting in the Aurora, along with several editorials attacking the Federalists

45. making “false, scandalous, defamatory, and malicious assertions 45. making “false, scandalous, defamatory, and malicious assertions.” 46. Because Thomas Jefferson was a Democratic-Republican

47. went into hiding, and secretly continued writing for his newspaper 48. The Sedition Act expired on March 3, 1801 and Jefferson a Democrat-Republican had been elected president

49. a well known lawyer, political philosopher, and newspaper editor in Sunbury, Pennsylvania--An Anti- Federalist (Democrat-Republican) 5o. wrote a newspaper ARTICLE sharply critical of President John Adams

51. charges publishing false, scandalous and malicious libel against the president –Found guilty 52. fined $400, sentenced to 6 months in prison 53. Most of the rest of his career was spent as college president and professor, at Dickinson College, The University of Pennsylvania, and the University of South Carolina.

54. Your opinion with evidence 55. Your opinion with evidence