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Alien and Sedition Acts

Definition

The Alien and Sedition Acts were four laws passed by Federalist-dominated Congress in 1798 during John Adams' presidency. These acts increased residency requirements for American citizenship, allowed deportation of foreigners deemed dangerous by federal government, limited freedom of speech & press if they criticized government officials or policies.

Analogy

Imagine you're at a party where you've set some rules - no loud music after 10 PM or no negative comments about your cooking skills. If someone breaks these rules, they'll be asked to leave or not speak ill about your food anymore. This is similar to what happened with Alien & Sedition Acts - they were essentially rules set up by government limiting certain behaviors & actions.

Related terms

Federalists: One political faction during early U.S. history that supported a strong central government, commercial economy, and the Alien and Sedition Acts.

Democratic-Republicans: The political faction opposing Federalists. They favored states' rights, agrarian economy, and were against the Alien and Sedition Acts.

John Adams: The second president of the United States (1797–1801) during whose presidency the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed.