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APUSH REVIEW: THE ALIEN AND SEDITION

ACTS

BACKGROUND: JAY’S AND PINCKNEY’S TREATIES

• Jay’s Treaty (1794):• Treaty with Great Britain• Britain promises to leave posts (forts), pay damages for

seized ships (impressment)• South not happy that North gets compensated

• Pinckney’s Treaty (1795):• Treaty with Spain• US could navigate the Mississippi River• Right of Deposit in New Orleans• Fixed Florida boundary

THE XYZ AFFAIR AND QUASI WAR

• XYZ:• 3 US commissioners go to France• 3 French agents, XYZ demand a bribe• US prepares for war

• Quasi War:• Undeclared war between US and France• US captured many French ships• Quasi War ends with Napoleon’s reign

THE ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS

• Purpose?• Federalists wanted to silence their opponents• Many Democratic Republicans supported the French

• Alien Act:• Made it more difficult for foreigners to become US citizens

(5 to 14 year waiting requirement)

• Sedition Act:• Made it illegal to criticize the government (President

Adams)

• Both laws were set to expire in two years• At this point, the Supreme Court had not

established judicial review

Criticize me and you will be punished!

THE VIRGINIA AND KENTUCKY RESOLUTIONS

• Nullification:• Theory that the states can nullify (void) federal laws

• VA and KY Resolutions• KY (written anonymously by Jefferson – VP)• VA (written by Madison)

• “Compact theory”• Since the states joined the union, they could decide if the

federal government overstepped its boundaries

• Impact of Resolutions?• More symbolic than anything• Later used by the South in the 1830s and 1860s

I also encouraged

states to nullify a federal law

when I was Vice-President.

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