Home > West's Encyclopedia of American Law > Kentucky Resolutions

A set of proposals formulated by THOMAS JEFFERSON and approved by the state legislature of Kentucky during 1798 and 1799 in opposition to the enactment of the ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS (1 Stat. 566, 570, 577, 596) by Congress.

The Kentucky Resolutions attacked the validity of the Alien and Sedition Acts, the enactment of which were a reaction to the turbulent political climate of France during the late 1700s following the French Revolution. The acts imposed strict residency requirements in order to attain U.S. citizenship, empowered the president to deport or incarcerate ALIENS who were considered "dangerous," and permitted the criminal prosecution of persons who made critical or...