Question

which of the following is true about the sedition act of 1798? group of answer choices the supreme court ruled the act unconstitutional. the senate voted it down, while the house passed it. the act prohibited malicious newspaper stories about the president. thomas jefferson strongly supported it. the state governments refused to enforce it.

Answer 1

The true statement about the Sedition Act of 1798 is that the act prohibited malicious newspaper stories about the president. Thomas Jefferson did not support the act, which was seen as a violation of First Amendment rights, and it raised significant constitutional questions.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering the Sedition Act of 1798, it is true that the act prohibited malicious newspaper stories about the president. Specifically, the act made it illegal to write, speak, or publish "any false, scandalous and malicious writing or writings against the government of the United States, or either house of the Congress of the United States, or the President." Violators faced imprisonment and fines. It was part of a broader campaign by the Federalists to silence Republican criticism and was highly controversial as it was seen by many as an infringement on First Amendment rights, specifically the freedom of speech and the press. Most Republicans, including Thomas Jefferson, found the Sedition Act to be extremely offensive, therefore, Jefferson did not support it. Instead, he worked secretly with James Madison to draft the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, which opposed the Alien and Sedition Acts and promoted the idea of states' rights to nullify federal laws they deemed unconstitutional.