Question

Why did Thomas Jefferson turn to nullification in an effort to right the wrongs of the Alien and Sedition
Acts?
(1 point)
The Federalists controlled the courts.
He had significant influence
over the states.
He believed the states were
• meant to control the federal government.
The states had the same
• right of judicial review as the Supreme Court.

Answer 1

Thomas Jefferson turned to nullification in an effort to right the wrongs of the Alien and Sedition Acts primarily because **he believed the states were meant to control the federal government**. Jefferson and his followers argued that if the federal government enacted laws that were deemed unconstitutional or harmful to the states or their citizens, the states had the right to nullify those laws. This was a fundamental principle for Jefferson and many of his contemporaries, reflecting a belief in the supremacy of states' rights over federal authority.