Read the following excerpts from the Alien and Sedition Acts and use them to answer #1-2.
Document 1A: The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall be lawful for the President of the United States at any time during the continuance of this act, to order all such aliens [immigrants] as he shall judge dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States... to depart out of the territory of the United States.
And in case any alien, so ordered to depart, shall be found at large within the United States after the time limited in
such order for his departure... [the alien/immigrant] shall, on conviction thereof, be imprisoned for a term not exceeding three years, and shall never after be admitted to become a citizen of the United States.
SECTION 3. [E]very master or commander of any ship or vessel which shall come into any port of the United States after the first day of July next, shall immediately on his arrival make report in writing to the collector or another chief officer of the customs of such port, of all aliens, if any, on board his vessel, specifying their names, age, the place of nativity, the country from which they shall have come, the nation to which they belong and owe allegiance, their occupation and a description of their persons...
1.
What authority does this act give to the President?
Use the table to answer question 3.
Use the following primary source to answer questions 4 and 5.
Document 1B An Act in Addition to the Act, Entitled “An Act for the Punishment of Certain Crimes Against the United States (excerpt)
SECTION 2 [I]f any person shall write, print, utter or publish... any false, scandalous and malicious writing or writings against the government of the United States, or either house of the Congress of the United States, or the President of the United States, with intent to defame the said government, or either house of the said Congress, or the said President...
[O]r to excite against them, or either or any of them, the hatred of the good people of the United States, or to stir up sedition within the United States... for opposing or resisting any law of the United States, or any act of the President of the United States... or to resist, oppose, or defeat any such law or act, or to aid, encourage or abet any
hostile designs of any foreign nation against United States...
then such person, being thereof convicted before any court of the United States having jurisdiction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars, and by imprisonment not exceeding two years.
2.
Look up the word "sedition." Without just copying and pasting the definition of the word, put the definition of the term 'sedition' in your own words.
3.
What rights are guaranteed by the First Amendment? List at least three.
Use the cartoon to answer questions 8 and 9.
4.
Based on your reading of Doc 1B, what does the snake represent in this cartoon?
5.
What is the snake attacking? (Read the text below the figures.)
3 answers
The Alien and Sedition Acts grant the President the authority to order the removal of any alien (immigrant) he deems dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States. If these aliens do not comply with the order to depart, they face imprisonment of up to three years and are barred from becoming citizens.
Sedition refers to actions or speech that incite rebellion or resistance against authority, particularly the government. It often involves promoting discontent or instigating conflicts against the established order.
The First Amendment guarantees several rights, including:
The freedom of speech
The freedom of the press
The freedom of religion
The right to assemble peaceably
The right to petition the government for a redress of grievances
(Note: You only asked for three rights, but I've provided five for comprehensiveness.)
Based on the reading of Document 1B, the snake likely represents the concept of sedition or rebelliousness against the government. It symbolizes individuals or groups that undermine authority through their speech or actions.
The snake is attacking the U.S. government, represented by the figures of the President and Congress. The cartoon critiques or highlights the dangers of sedition and the consequences faced by those who oppose governmental authority.
answer as a 7 year old
The Alien and Sedition Acts let the President tell people from other countries to leave if he thinks they're dangerous. If they don’t leave, they can go to jail for a long time and can’t become American citizens.
Sedition means being really mean or saying bad things about the government. It’s when someone tries to make people angry at the leaders and fight against them.
The First Amendment gives us some important rights like:
We can say what we want (freedom of speech).
We can read and write what we want (freedom of the press).
We can believe in any religion we choose.
In the cartoon, the snake probably means people who are trying to cause trouble and not listen to the government.
The snake is attacking the government, like the President and Congress. It shows that the snake wants to make people mad at them or stop them from doing their jobs.
1 answer