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Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions | Primary Source Essentials

Description

In this episode of Primary Source Essentials, explore the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798, two of the most controversial documents in early American history. Learn how Thomas Jefferson and James Madison responded to the Federalist-backed Alien and Sedition Acts.

Discover how Jefferson’s Kentucky Resolutions introduced the idea that states could declare federal laws “void and of no force,” and how Madison’s Virginia Resolutions took a more measured stance, urging states to “interpose” against unconstitutional acts. Understand how these arguments over federal power, individual liberty, and constitutional interpretation foreshadowed future sectional conflicts and debates over states’ rights that would shape the nation’s path.

Related Resources

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798)

These resolutions were passed by the legislatures of Kentucky and Virginia in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 and were authored by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, respectively. The resolutions argued that the federal government had no authority to exercise power not specifically delegated to it in the Constitution.

Reading the Kentucky Resolution: Who Determines the Constitutionality of Laws?

Who determines the constitutionality of laws? In part one of a two-part series, Kirk starts his examination of the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions by breaking down the Kentucky Resolution into easy-to-understand concepts. Should individual states have the power to challenge federal laws and declare them unconstitutional?

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, 1798–1799

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.