Resolutions written in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts passed by the Federalist-controlled Congress and President John Adams.
Argued that the states had the right to declare federal laws unconstitutional, specifically citing the Tenth Amendment and the idea of “compact theory” (that states retained individual sovereignty).
The Kentucky Resolution (in a more radical statement later added by Jefferson) even suggested the idea of “Nullification” - that a state could void federal laws it deemed unconstitutional.
Impact? Why Significant?:
States’ Rights: Laid the groundwork for future arguments about states’ rights and became a foundational document for the Nullification crisis in the 1830s and, eventually, the Southern secession movement leading to the Civil War.
Political Theory: Introduced important concepts about the relationship between the federal government and the states, sparking a debate that continues today.
Limited Impact at the Time: While important in the long term, the resolutions failed to overturn the Alien and Sedition Acts, as no other states adopted them.