Final answer:
The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 were used primarily to restrict free speech and deport foreign citizens deemed as threats to national security.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Alien and Sedition Acts, signed into law by President John Adams in 1798, were primarily used to restrict free speech and deport foreign citizens deemed as threats to national security.
The Sedition Act specifically targeted speech critical of the federal government or its officials and imposed penalties, including imprisonment and hefty fines, on those convicted of speaking or writing in a malicious manner against the United States government.
The Alien Acts allowed the president to deport or imprison aliens from enemy countries in times of war and restrict immigration from countries at war with the United States.