Transcript Naturalization, Alien, & Sedition Acts

President
John Adams
(1797-1801)
Federalist
Naturalization, Alien, &
Sedition Acts
Ms. Grotrian
Naturalization Act
Anyone
wishing to
become a U.S. Citizen
had to declare his
intention at least 5 years
prior to application.
Naturalization Act
Applicants
had to have lived
within the United States for
14 years.
Applicants had to have lived
within their current state for
at least 5 years.
Naturalization Act
Citizens
of foreign
nations were not allowed
to become citizens of the
United States if the two
countries were at war.
Naturalization Act
Aliens
living within the
US had the register
themselves and report
their places of residence
regularly.
Alien Act
Gave
President Adams the
authority to arrest and
deport any potentially
dangerous citizens of
foreign powers at war with
the US.
– *Note: Adams did NOT use this privilege.
Sedition Act
Any
person found to be in
opposition to the
government was guilty of a
high misdemeanor and
subject to fines and
imprisonment.
Sedition Act
Any
person who spoke, wrote,
or published “any false,
scandalous and malicious
writing or writings” against
any branch of the Federal
government… was subject to
fines and imprisonment.
Sedition Act
Those
accused of
malicious intent against
the government had the
right to defend
themselves in a trial by
jury.
WHO DID THESE ACTS
TARGET???
Federalists
targeted
immigrants – mostly
Irish and French – who
had criticized Adams
administration.
 The
Sedition Act specifically
targeted journalists and editors.
The grandson of Benjamin
Franklin (Benjamin Franklin
Bache), the Jeffersonian publisher
of the Philadelphia General
Advertiser. Arrested, he was
released on parole but soon after
died from yellow fever.
Representative
Matthew Lyon
of Vermont was arrested
under the Sedition Act after
he wrote a letter criticizing
Adams administration.
He was fined $1,000 and
imprisoned for a short period
of time.

In the end…
President Thomas Jefferson
pardoned all 10 men
convicted under the
Sedition Act, and Congress
repaid all fines with
interest.