Why were they passed? Brink of war with the French. And politics.
The sediiton acts were passed becasue of “brink of war.”
But the four laws are referred to as the Aiien and Sedition Acts for a reason. Four Laws, some about Aliens and some about Sedition. (The ones about sedition were probably unConstitutional, but that’s another story.)
Against the French. The “federalists” didn’t like the political side they chose.
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And the Irish (and t first it was the aristocratic French).
- Americans didn’t like the large wave of workers coming and driving down wages, driving up some prices.
- They didn’t like the values and lifestyles the new immigrants brought.
- They didn’t like the politics those immigrants advocated and the ways they would try to change the US government.
I should add that the economy was a bona fide mess at the time.
(Right now it is more like a K-shaped boom for some, a bona fide mess for others.)
Where are you getting the Irish?
more so the prices I think. we were pretty agrarian back then.
they were Catholic
as Catholic, they were perceived to be more amenable to a more authoritarian federal government
We currently have H2A and H2B Visas for the very workers that are being discussed, but this fact never seems to be part of the discussion by our lawmakers.
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I don’t recall my original source (I first learned this in the 8th grade)
but I checked wiht Copilot and got:
Absolutely—they were very much about the Irish, Bob, and not just in passing. The Federalists saw Irish immigrants as a political and ideological threat.
Irish Immigrants and Republican Radicalism
By the late 1790s, Irish immigration was surging, especially after the failed United Irishmen uprising of 1798 against British rule.
Many of these Irish newcomers were anti-British, pro-republican, and sympathetic to Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans, which made them natural enemies of the Federalist establishment. . . .
Targeted Legislation
The Naturalization Act of 1798 extended the residency requirement for citizenship from 5 to 14 years—explicitly aimed at Irish and French immigrants who were active in Republican politics.
The Alien Friends Act gave the president power to deport any foreigner deemed dangerous, and Irish organizers like William Duane, editor of the Philadelphia Aurora, were prime targets3. . . .
A few tidbits from copilot’s sources to follow
1
June 18, 1798 — The Naturalization Act extended the residency period from 5 to 14 years for aliens seeking citizenship; this law was aimed at Irish and French immigrants who were often active in Republican politics.
https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/alien-and-sedition-acts/
2
France and Spain seemed to have schemes to expand or re-establish their empires on America’s western frontier, . . . there were significant numbers of immigrants arriving in the United States seeking refuge from the chaos of Europe. Some of the recent arrivals from France, Ireland, Scotland, and England. . . Instead of welcoming these immigrants, many Americans believed that they put the nation in peril.
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/immigrants-and-alien-and-sedition-acts-1798
3
More than one law
A majority Federalist Congress had passed the Alien Act, the Alien Enemy Act and the Sedition Act in 1798 specifically to address the Franco-Irish problem. Congressman Harrison Gray Otis of Massachusetts said in a speech supporting the bills that he did not want “hordes of wild Irishmen” coming to America and disrupting the country.The Alien Act empowered the president to deport any non-citizen he perceived as a danger to the United States and . . . .The Irish were not the only immigrants who would be affected by the law, but they were keenly aware they were the main target.
https://theaugustapress.com/a-bit-of-history-on-the-alien-enemies-act-and-its-companions/
I’ll accept it, as a corollary.
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Trump is not conservative. That is not made up.
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It is true that Trump is not a conservative.
Permit me to speculate.
For 10-plus years the US has discussed the Alien and Sedition acts in terms of the sedition act, post 9-11 and the Patriot Act.
During that discussion you, like many people, somehow lost sight of the the other parts of those laws and think of it primarily as the Sedition act, which was aimed at primarily at French revolutionaries operating in the US.
well… duh.
He is the most moderate President in my lifetime.
Trump and his cultists in congress have done more radical RW talk radio talking points actions than any other R POTUS. The damage will take years to fix, if possible, and many people are going to get screwed. That being said, I do hope I am wrong.
They are just fixing the leftist ■■■■■■■■ Biden did. Trump is far from conservative, he’s a moderate and always has been. The problem is leftists like yourself have gone so far left you don’t know where the middle is anymore.
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Now, more on the topic of the thread:
I believe that there is an opportunity here. Not just for real and meaningful compromise that would settle this issue, but to expand it to others.
The Bill is limited by only allowing the process for those who arrived prior to 2021. I think given the numbers, that’s only common sense; however, I believe the process for immigration usually takes 7 years, so in my mind, 7 years is a good starting point and metric to use.
First, those who arrived more than 7 years before the date the bill is signed.
You can get permission to stay. You must register; you must provide for yourself. You must pass a background check and have no violent felonies in the last 7 years. You are eligible for no government benefits of any kind including refundable tax credits until you become a permanent resident. 3 years from the date of your registration, you will become eligible for (with the expectation of receiving) permanent residency complete with all of the protections any other permanent resident has with the caveat, that you will only be eligible for citizenship when you retire or at the age of 67.5 whichever is later. SS contributions will only be counted toward benefits after you attain permanent residency, If you bought Children with you, they will be eligible to apply for (with the expectation of receiving) naturalized citizenship once the reach 18 Years of age. Children born here before the permission was granted will automatically be granted citizenship as natural born citizens once they reach 18 years of age. Those born after permission to stay was granted are natural born citizens from birth.
For those here less than 7 years but more than 3.5 years from the date the bill is signed.
You can apply to stay. You must pass a background check and have zero violent felony convictions. With that as a caveat, your application will be approved. You will be eligible for zero government benefits of any kind including refundable tax credits until you become a permanent resident. You will be eligible to apply for permanent residency 7 years after registering with the expectation that you will receive it. SS contributions will only be counted once permanent residency is established. You will only be eligible for citizenship once you retire or at the age of 67.5, whichever comes later. If you bought children with you they will be eligible to apply for (with the expectation of receiving) naturalized citizenship 7 years after the date of registration or at the age of 18, whichever comes later. For children born here before registering all will be eligible to be counted as natural born citizens upon their 18th birthday. After permission, they are citizens from birth.
For those here less than 3.5 years or those who fail to register within 6 months of the law being signed.
Normal process. If we catch you we deport you. Turn yourself in at a detention center and do it the right way. If your employer is willing to fill out paperwork to allow you a work visa, it will be a factor in the decision of your parole. If neighbors are willing to make statements in your favor, it will factor into the decision on your parole. If while granted parole you lose your job and have not secured employment within 30 days report back to the detention center. The commission of any crime while on parole will result in automatic deportation. Statement from employers or neighbors do not guarantee parole; however, they will weight the decision.
From the date signed, any employer who knowingly hires an illegal alien shall be fined not less than $500 per day for each illegal alien in his employ on that day.
Discussing is very different than using it to imprison people without trial.
There is no war. There is no Venezuelan invasion.
you aren’t the decider. We do have one, and it ain’t you.
Wel so much for the Sedition Act,
now how about the Alien Act,
the part that gave the President broad authority to deport people.
President has broad authority to deport people seems to be exacty precisely what the founders wanted and did.
