Kentucky+and+Virginia+Resolutions

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=__The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions__=

The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions are written resolutions that acted against the Alien and Sedition Acts. These acts were four bills passed by federalists which prevented people from criticizing the government. The Kentucky and Virginia resolutions gave the two states the power to write their own laws and it didn't limit their powers. These resolutions were approved and passed in the year 1798 by James Madison who wrote the Virginia Resolution and Thomas Jefferson who was vice president at the time, wrote the Kentucky Resolutions.

**Life Before the Resolutions**
A few years before the resolutions were passed, several people had violated the Sedition Acts. Even though the first amendment allowed such remarks many people would be convicted and fined for them. At that time, if you crticized a federalist president or other important federalists you would be convicted, but if it was the democratic-republican vice president receiving the remarks then nothing would happen. When Thomas Jefferson had heard about what was happening the the democratic-republican party he thought tha it was unconstitutional. He had quickly decided to make these resolutions which later became known as the kentucky resolutions because they were first introduced to people in Kentucky where there were many people there who supported him. Soon after, The Virginia resolutions were written by James Madison who later became president.

Passing of the Resolutions
Before the Kentucky and the Virginia Resolutions were passed, there were many things that had to be done. It took a lot of time to draft these resolutions and then find people who agreed with these beliefs and would then pass them. If these resolutions were to be passed, then they would eventually lead all people to think that the constitution was an agreement among the states that laws such as the Alien and Sedition acts should be decided constitutional or not by the people.

The Drafts
The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions are actually two different documents. The first draft that was written was the Kentucky resolutions. They were made by Vice President Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia Resolution was written by James Madison. The drafts were made at different times. The Kentucky resolutions were made about a month before the Virginia resolution.

The Year of 1798[[image:http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Spring06/images/ed_32L_sm.jpg width="123" height="141" align="right" caption="The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions"]]
In the year 1798 shortly after the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions were drafted, they were passed. Both of the resolutions were passed by each of the states own legislature.Once they were passed, theses laws had been tried to be passed into other states but they didn't make it.

Life After The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
When these resolutions were passed, they ended the Alien and Sedition Acts. With these acts being destroyed, it made many people like and look up to Thomas Jefferson. It also helped him in his campaign to run for president in the 1800's. There had been a tie between Jefferson and Aaron Burr so the House of representatives had to decide who the next president was going to be. Once the campaign was over Thomas Jefferson became president and Burr became vice president.