Alien and Sedition Acts

Cultural  

1. A series of laws, passed during the presidency of John Adams at the end of the eighteenth century, that sought to restrict the public activities of political radicals who sympathized with the French Revolution and criticized Adams's Federalist policies. In response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson wrote the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, which asserted states' rights.

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Example Sentences

So the Congress enacted a series of four laws, commonly known as the Alien and Sedition Acts.

From Slate

In 1800 you have James Madison unambiguously writing, in the context of the Alien and Sedition Acts, that “invasion is an operation of war.”

From Slate

The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 is the last of the notorious Alien and Sedition Acts to remain on the books, and it is suddenly in the headlines.

From Slate

She started researching the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, the sole operative part of the notorious Alien and Sedition Acts.

From Slate

The law is the only survivor of the Alien and Sedition Acts.

From Los Angeles Times