The Alien and Sedition Acts were a series of four laws passed by the United States [[Congress]] in 1798 during the presidency of John Adams. These acts were a response to the growing tensions between the U.S. and France, as well as domestic political conflicts between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans. The four acts were: 1. **The Naturalization Act**: This act extended the residency requirement for immigrants to become U.S. citizens from 5 to 14 years. It aimed to limit the influence of foreign-born people, who tended to support the Democratic-Republicans, in American politics. 2. **The Alien Friends Act**: This act granted the president the power to arrest, detain, and deport any non-citizen considered "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States" during peacetime. The act targeted French immigrants and those with sympathies toward France. 3. **The Alien Enemies Act**: This act allowed the president to arrest, detain, or deport any male citizen of a foreign nation at war with the U.S. The act was primarily aimed at French nationals in case of a war with France, but it was never used. 4. **The Sedition Act**: This act made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government, Congress, or the President, with the intent to defame them, bring them into disrepute, or incite opposition to their policies. This act was particularly controversial as it was seen as an infringement on the First Amendment's guarantee of [[free speech (1A)]] and the press. The Alien and Sedition Acts were highly controversial, as many saw them as an overreach of federal power and a violation of individual liberties. The Democratic-Republicans, led by [[Thomas Jefferson]] and [[James Madison]], strongly opposed the acts and responded by drafting the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which argued that states had the right to nullify unconstitutional federal laws. The acts had a significant impact on the political climate of the United States, further exacerbating the divide between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans. Most of the provisions of the Alien and Sedition Acts were allowed to expire or were repealed by 1802, after Thomas Jefferson became president. However, the Alien Enemies Act remains in effect to this day, though it has been amended several times. See also: [[Constitution]]