Question

What was the main goal of the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions.

A) to prevent John Adams from being reelected
B) to declare the Sedition Act unconstitutional
C) to strengthen the central government
D) to make peace with Native Americans

Answer 1

B) to declare the Sedition Act unconstitutional

In the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1798 and 1799 respectively), the states legislatures declared the federal Alien and Sedition Acts as unconstitutional.

The Alien and Sedition Acts act of 1798 consisted of four laws that made it harder for an immigrant to become an American citizen; it allowed the president to imprison and deport non-citizens who were deemed dangerous or who came from a hostile nation, and required foreign citizens to reside for 14 years in the U.S. in order to become eligible to vote. The acts also limited freedom of speech and of the press, as an attempt to silence opposition to the Federalist's measures.

Answer 2

The main goal of the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions was "B) to declare the Sedition Act unconstitutional," since many Americans at the time viewed the acts as acts of tyranny.