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Acts Essay
The act passed during the Adams administration that most divided the Federalists and the Republicans was the Alien and Sedition acts of 1798. This act created a lot tension between both of the political parties. Both of the parties had different views on the Constitution as well as the Bill of Rights. Thus creating there confrontation on this act. The Alien and Sedition acts of 1798 caused much turmoil and eventually split the parties even further apart because both disfigured the rights of the American people.
The Alien and Sedition acts consisted of four main points that limited the American people to the rights of the Constitution. The acts limited freedom of speech and the press and the liberty of aliens. John Adams, a Federalist, signed the controversial act with out any consultation form his counsel and making the largest mistake of his Presidency. The first act was the Naturalization act which increased the residency time of becoming a citizen from five to fourteen years. The second was the Alien act is where at the presidents whim could deport any at his discretion. The third was the Alien Enemy Act which gave the right to the president to declare war to expel or imprison enemy aliens. The first three of the acts were not looked happily upon foreigners especially the French and Irish who had become Republicans. The final act called the Sedition Act sated basically no more freedom of speech or presses that which is defined as a conspiracy against the government. The republicans said the acts were designed to punish them while the federalists stated that the acts were to protect the government from the people.
In conclusion, The Alien and Sedition acts of 1798 caused much turmoil and eventually split the parties even further apart because both disfigured the rights of