By Sasha Alex Lessin, Ph.D. (Anthropology, UCLA)
America’s first decades were not merely a struggle to build a new nation. They were a struggle over who would rule that nation. Would power remain concentrated in the hands of wealthy elites accustomed to hierarchy and command? Or would ordinary people exercise genuine self-government?
Viewed through the lens of Anunnaki-inspired Dominator Consciousness versus Partnership Consciousness, the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 reveal one of America’s earliest clashes between rulers who feared dissent and citizens determined to preserve liberty.
The Federalists, led by President John Adams and Alexander Hamilton, believed strong authority was necessary to preserve order. Jefferson and Madison believed liberty depended upon citizens retaining the right to criticize those in power. The battle that followed shapes American history to this very day.
THE REVOLUTION ENDED, THE POWER STRUGGLE BEGAN
The American Revolution expelled British rule, but it did not eliminate the consciousness of domination mindset that our creators, the large Anunnaki Homo sapiens from the Planet Nibiru inculcated into our govenance and religious systems.
Many of George Washington’s officers and the wealthy merchants, bankers, and lawyers who rose to power after independence remained comfortable with hierarchical institutions. They admired British stability and believed educated elites should guide society.
Federalists favored a strong national government, centralized authority, and policies that benefited commercial interests.
Jefferson, Madison, farmers, artisans, frontier settlers, immigrants, and many Revolutionary War veterans feared that America’s new rulers might recreate the same concentrations of power they had supposedly fought to escape.
The conflict was not merely political.
It reflected two visions of society.
One trusted authority.
The other trusted citizens.
FEAR OF FRANCE, FEAR OF THE PEOPLE
During the 1790s, France and Britain fought across Europe and the seas. American leaders attempted neutrality, but tensions mounted. French privateers seized American ships.
Federalists warned that French revolutionary ideas might spread inside the United States. Many Federalists viewed French and Irish immigrants with suspicion because these groups often supported Jefferson’s Democratic Republicans. As fear increased, elite leaders demanded greater control.
Throughout history, systems of domination have frequently justified the expansion of authority by identifying dangerous outsiders. The fear may be real but the danger may be exaggerated; either way, fear becomes the mechanism through which power expands. The Federalists increasingly portrayed immigrants and political critics as threats to national security.
THE ALIEN ACTS TARGETED IMMIGRANTS
Congress responded by passing a series of laws known as the Alien Acts.
The Naturalization Act increased the waiting period for citizenship from 5 years to 14 years.
The Alien Friends Act authorized the President to deport non-citizens deemed dangerous.
The Alien Enemies Act permitted the detention or deportation of citizens from hostile nations during wartime.
Federalists argued these measures protected America.
Critics saw something different.
The legislation primarily affected immigrants who often supported Jefferson’s party.
The laws delayed voting rights and created a climate of fear.
Although relatively few deportations occurred, many immigrants understood the message.
Political disagreement could place them under suspicion. Whenever elites fear losing control, immigrants often become convenient targets.
THE SEDITION ACT CRIMINALIZED CRITICISM
The most controversial measure was the Sedition Act. Federalists argued that criticism weakened the nation during an international crisis. Passed in July 1798, it made it a crime to publish writings deemed false, scandalous, or malicious against the federal government, Congress, or the President.
Jeffersonians viewed the law as a direct attack upon the First Amendment.
The issue was simple, could citizens openly criticize government leaders? Or could those leaders decide which criticisms were acceptable?
Under domination consciousness, authority often equates criticism with disloyalty but under partnership consciousness, criticism serves as a necessary corrective that prevents authority from becoming tyranny.
The Sedition Act moved America toward the first model.
ADAMS JAILED HIS CRITICS
The law quickly produced prosecutions. Newspaper editors became primary targets.
Benjamin Franklin Bache, grandson of Benjamin Franklin and editor of the Aurora newspaper, faced charges for criticizing Adams.
Congressman Matthew Lyon of Vermont became one of the most famous victims. After publishing criticism of the President, Lyon was convicted, fined $1,000, and sentenced to prison. Voters, however, reelected Lyon while he remained behind bars, and citizens viewed the prosecutions as evidence that the government itself had become the problem. 25 people faced prosecution under the Sedition Act; most were journalists, editors, and political opponents. Attempts to silence dissent generated more dissent.
JEFFERSON AND MADISON FOUGHT BACK
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison secretly organized resistance.
They authored the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which challenged the constitutionality of the Alien and Sedition Acts.
The resolutions argued that the federal government possessed limited powers and that states could resist unconstitutional federal actions.
Although controversial, these documents provided a powerful intellectual foundation for opposition.
Jefferson and Madison framed the issue not as a partisan dispute but as a defense of constitutional liberty.
Their resistance reflected a partnership model of governance.
Authority should serve citizens.
Citizens should not fear authority.
The resolutions helped unify opposition forces nationwide.
THE PEOPLE REJECTED FEDERALIST RULE
The election of 1800 became a referendum on the Alien and Sedition Acts.
Federalists warned that Jeffersonian victory would produce chaos. Jeffersonians warned that a Federalist victory would destroy liberty. Voters sided with Jefferson.
The election marked the first peaceful transfer of power between rival political parties in American history. Jefferson immediately pardoned those convicted under the Sedition Act.
The Federalist Party never fully recovered. Citizens had delivered a powerful verdict: Government exists to protect liberty, not suppress it.
The peaceful transition demonstrated that political disagreement need not lead to violence. Jefferson’s election win became one of the most important victories for democratic self-government in American history.
THE LESSON FOR TODAY
The Alien and Sedition Acts eventually expired or were repealed. Yet the underlying conflict remains. Again and again, governments invoke national security to justify restrictions upon liberty.
World War I produced new Sedition Acts. The Red Scare generated loyalty investigations and political blacklists. Modern administrations of both parties have expanded surveillance and executive authority during crises.
Each generation confronts the same question: How much freedom should citizens surrender when leaders promise greater security?
Viewed through the framework of Dominator Consciousness, the answer often favors centralized authority, secrecy, hierarchy, and control. Viewed through the framework of Partnership Consciousness, the answer emphasizes transparency, participation, accountability, and liberty.
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TRUMP TRAMPLES TESTY TALK TOO
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John Adams was not Donald Trump. Yet both administrations reveal a recurring temptation within political systems. Leaders like Trump and Iran’s Ayatollahs, facing criticism, continue to seek mechanisms to suppress critics. But the lesson of 1798 remains clear:
Free speech matters most when it protects unpopular opinions.
Liberty matters most when those in power dislike what citizens are saying.
The Alien and Sedition Acts stand as a cautionary tale. America’s founders discovered that the greatest threat to freedom often comes not from foreign enemies, but from the fear that causes leaders to abandon the principles they claim to defend.
REFERENCES
- John Adams and the Alien & Sedition Acts, Compressed Histories YouTube video. Transcript supplied by user.
- The Adams-Jefferson Letters, edited by Lester J. Cappon, University of North Carolina Press.
- American Sphinx, Alfred A. Knopf.
- Founding Brothers, Alfred A. Knopf.
- John Adams, Simon & Schuster.
- Alien and Sedition Acts, U.S. Congressional records.
VIDEOS
- War on Free Speech: John Adams’ Alien & Sedition Acts (Compressed Histories)
- John Adams documentary materials from U.S. archives
- Thomas Jefferson and the Kentucky Resolutions
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