Are Both Alien and Sedition Act and Hartford Convention No Longer Relevant - Coursework Example

The Alien and Sedition Acts were signed into law by President John Adams in 1798. The Alien Act was approved on July 6, 1798. The Alien Act which was an Act Respecting Alien Enemies had three sections while the Sedition Act also is known as An Act in Addition to the Act, Entitled "An Act for the Punishment of Certain Crimes against the United States had four sections. It was very apparent during those times that Federalists composed more than half of the Members of the Congress. With this advantage, they enacted laws that aim to place limitations and restrictions on the rights of immigrants in the United States.

The Alien Act was viewed to be a way of threatening the Irish immigrants. In general, this act increased the residency requirement for American citizenship. It was initially five years and was increased to fourteen years. Aside from this, the President was given the authorization to imprison or deport aliens who were proven to be "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States". The Act also defined the role of the courts and marshals to apprehend convene and remove aliens who were considered to be threats to the safety and peace of the United States.

The Sedition Act aimed to silence and to limit the freedom of speech and freedom of the press. With the majority of the Congress in the hands of the Federalists, this was also viewed as their tactic to confine and contain the power and strength of the Republicans. This Act stated that any persons who gather together with the goal of challenging, questioning or opposing the implementation of the law of the United States were to subject to imprisonment of not less than six months and not exceeding five years with an additional fine of five thousand dollars.