U.S. History Alien and Sedition Act Editorial Mrs. Madison
Directions:
1. Make sure that you have read Section 6-2 and completed the Section 6-2 questions from yesterday.
2. In this assignment, you will write an editorial letter to a newspaper. An editorial is a type of newspaper article that gives an opinion on a certain topic. The topics you will be writing about are the Alien and Sedition Acts and the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions. Your point of view will be from a Federalist (like Alexander Hamilton) or a Democratic-Republican (like Thomas Jefferson).
3. So, first decide if you want to be a Federalist or a Democratic-Republican. When you write your editorial, the opinion you express should match what a Democratic-Republican or a Federalist would feel.
4. Next, decide how you, as either a Federalist or Democratic-Republican, would feel about the Alien and Sedition Acts and the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions. Use the information we know about what the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans believe to determine how they would feel about the two sets of laws.
5. Then, write your editorial. In the editorial, express your opinions (as a Federalist or Democratic-Republican about the Alien and Sedition Acts and the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions. Specifically, discuss whether you think each set of laws is necessary and whether you think the laws are constitutional. Explain why you think the laws are necessary or unnecessary and why you think the laws are constitutional or unconstitutional. The editorial should be a minimum of fifteen sentences and use proper spelling and grammar.
6. The questions below are some questions you might want to consider as you’re writing your editorial. They are just questions to get you thinking. They are not questions you are required to answer in your editorial.
· How might President Adams have felt when the American delegation was asked to pay to see the French foreign minister?
· Why might a new government react to criticism more harshly than a well-established government?
· Why were Federalists suspicious of new immigrants after the XYZ Affair?
· Why did many Democratic-Republicans feel outraged about the Alien and Sedition Acts?
7. Grading Rubric:
o 5 points- Spelling and Grammar
o 10 points- Accurate and thorough discussion of Alien and Sedition Acts from your p.o.v.
o 10 points- Accurate and thorough discussion of the VA-KY Resolutions from your p.o.v.