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Alien And Sedition Acts Dbq Essay

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In 1798, the Federal Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts and presented them as laws meaning to protect the United States from dangerous foreigners during the seemingly imminent war with France but the acts really intended to weaken the Jeffersonian Republicans. These acts also violated the rights guaranteed in the Constitution, making them unconstitutional and unnecessary. The Alien Laws allowed the president to deport anyone he considered to be a dangerous foreigner during peacetime and deport or imprison them during wartime. Additionally, the Sedition Act stated that anyone who hindered the policies of the government or falsely criticized government officials would be fined or imprisoned. Jeffersonians detested these acts because

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