In the summer of 1798, the young American republic faced a moment of crisis. Gripped by fear of foreign enemies and internal dissent, Congress passed a series of laws that would become known as the Alien and Sedition Acts. Pitched as national security measures during the undeclared Quasi-War with France, these laws instead became a hammer used against political opponents and a direct challenge to the very freedoms the Revolution was fought to secure.

In today’s episode of Dave Does History, we’ll explore the origins, enforcement, and political fallout of the Alien and Sedition Acts. We’ll look at how Federalist judges weaponized the laws, why Jefferson didn’t fully repeal them, and how their ideological descendants, like the Espionage Act of 1917, continued the pattern of liberty under pressure. From 1798 to today, the story of these acts raises hard questions about what freedom really means when fear is in charge.