USA > United States

Alien and Sedition Acts

The Alien and Sedition Acts were passed in 1798 in an effort to reduce the influence of "foreigners" on American politics. The Naturalization Act of 1798 increased the residency requirements for American citizenship from five fo fourteen years and placed other restrictions on obtaining citizenship. The Sedition Act prohibited assembly of people opposing the government and made it illegal to publish writings that were critical of government policy. The acts were supported by the Federalist Party. When Thomas Jefferson became President in 1801, enforcement ended.