Which legislation restricted rights of immigrants and suppressed criticism of the government?

• A. Embargo Act
• B. Alien and Sedition Acts
• C. Louisiana Purchase
• D. Burning of Washington DC

Answer: (B)

During times of political tension, laws can be used to limit who can participate in public life and what can be said about the government. In 1798, the Alien and Sedition Acts gave the President power to arrest, detain, or deport non-citizens deemed dangerous and to prosecute people who criticized the government or published seditious material. This directly restricted rights of immigrants and curtailed freedom of speech and press, making it the correct choice. The Embargo Act dealt with stopping trade, not immigrant rights or speech suppression; the Louisiana Purchase was about acquiring land, and the Burning of Washington DC was a wartime event, not a legislative action governing civil liberties.