United States History 2022

Running head: US HISTORY
US HISTORY
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Author Note

1
US HISTORY The Virginia and Kentucky Resolution, 1798 were written and drafted by James
Madison and Thomas Jefferson and the same as the passed by the legislatures of both the
state. The purpose of drafting the resolution remained latent for almost 25 years until the
Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 came into force. The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 had
extended the authority of the federal government. The resolution makers have argued that
the authority of the Constitution is satisfactory and "compact" along with the states.
Therefore, it is needless for the federal government to exercise unnecessary authority which
has not been delegated to it. Subsequently, such exercise of powers could declared already
prevailing acts as unconstitutional and would eradicate the power of the state to determine the
constitutionality of legal rules passed by Congress. The Kentucky resolution declared that the
Alien and Sedition Act is void and therefore, cannot be in force (Madison).
The Kentucky resolution was passed by the legislature of the Kentucky state on
November 16, 1798. The fundamental argument of this resolution was that the national
government has been squashed between the states and any enforcement of undelegated
influence can be held to be declared as invalid. It furthermore contained that each state had a
right to decide the events of the infringement of their power as well to decide about the mode
of redress (Watkins).
On the other hand, the Virginia Resolution was passed by their legislature on
December 24, 1798, and it has asserted that the state authority to decide about the validity of
the Federal legislation and declared the acts unconstitutional (Smith).
The Virginia and Kentucky Resolution was said to raise a protest against the boundaries of
Civil Liberties which was envisaged under the Alien and Sedition Acts instead of levying on
powerful constitution theory arguments. Later on, the suggestions to the resolutions as
authority for the theories of nullification and secession were conflicting with the restricted