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Lesson

John Adams and the Alien and Sedition Acts

Guiding question

Was the sedition portion of the 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts, signed into law by President John Adams, a constitutional war measure?

Duration
50 min
Published
Jun 17, 2021
Alien and Sedition Acts XYZ Affair
John Adams was not a “War President”: he did not lead the country through war as Commander in Chief. However, much of his administration was devoted to avoiding war. The 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts, viewed then by some and now by most as a serious challenge to the First Amendment, were signed into law by Adams, who maintained that “national defense is one of the cardinal duties of a statesman.” He did not ask for the controversial sedition law that limited freedom of speech and press, but believed, as Congress did, that provisions facilitating the deportation of foreign nationals and the discouragement of newspaper dissent would help strengthen the United States in the event of war with France. Adams achieved his goal of keeping the US out of war, but history has condemned his decision to sign and enforce this series of laws.

Founding Principles

Freedom of Speech

Objectives:

Students will:

  • Understand John Adams’ reasons for believing the Alien and Sedition Acts to be a constitutional war measure.
  • Analyze arguments for and against the constitutionality of the Alien and Sedition Act.
  • Assess the constitutionality of the Alien and Sedition Acts.

Materials

  • Handout A: John Adams and the Alien and Sedition Acts
  • Handout B: Dinner Party Guests
  • Handout C: Dinner Conversation

Lesson Components

ActivityHandout A: John Adams and the Alien and Sedition Acts
ActivityHandout B: Dinner Party Guests
ActivityHandout C: Dinner Conversation
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Lesson plan

50 minClick a phase to open it

More Information

To create a context for this lesson, students complete Constitutional Connection: War and the Constitution.

Standards

Check whether this resource aligns with your state’s standards →

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