What did the Alien and Sedition act do to the federalist Party during the founding era?
From Shmoop History on the Federalists: Alien and Sedition Acts, Alien & Sedition Acts Passed at the height of a nationwide war hysteria set off by the XYZ Affair, the Alien and Sedition Acts sharply curtailed civil liberties and the rights of immigrants in the name of national security. The acts authorized the president to arrest, jail, or deport citizens of enemy nations during a time of war, and also made it a crime to say or print anything “false, scandalous, and malicious” against the government. The Alien and Sedition Acts, passed by a Federalist congress and signed into law by Federalist President John Adams, were bitterly resented by Republicans; Thomas Jefferson made repeal of the acts a central plank of his successful campaign platform in 1800.
