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How many people were convicted under the 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts?

a) Numerous convictions
b) One or two convictions
c) No convictions
d) Convictions were not recorded

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Under the 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts, although no one was deported under the Alien Acts, there were ten convictions under the Sedition Act, which targeted those expressing opposition to the U.S. government.

Step-by-step explanation:

Convictions Under the 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts

Under the 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts, there were a series of laws intended to protect national security during a period of tension with France, known as the Quasi-War. While the Alien Acts targeted immigrants and granted the president powers to deport those deemed as threats, these were not actively used to deport individuals. However, the Sedition Act, which imposed penalties on those speaking or writing against the U.S. government, resulted in the indictment of twenty-five men, all belonging to the Democratic-Republican Party, and the conviction of ten, including Congressman Matthew Lyon.

The Sedition Act raised substantial constitutional questions, highlighted by the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions which asserted that the acts were illegal and unconstitutional. Nonetheless, the convictions under the Sedition Act showed the Federalist government's efforts to curtail opposition, ultimately leading to its political disadvantage and the reversal of most of these laws during the Jefferson administration.

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