Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
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The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, also known as the Virginia and Kentucky Resolves, were passed in opposition to the Alien and Sedition Acts. Though often mentioned as a pair in modern historical discussions, they were actually two separate documents. The Kentucky Resolutions (plural) were written by Thomas Jefferson and passed by the Kentucky legislature on November 16, 1798. The Virginia Resolution (singular) was written by James Madison and passed by the Virginia legislature on December 24, 1798. Jefferson and Madison collaborated on the writing of the two documents.
The resolutions attacked the Federalists' interpretation of the Constitution, which extended the powers of the federal government over the states. The resolutions declared that the United States Constitution only established an agreement between the central government and the states and that the federal government had no right to exercise powers not specifically delegated to it; should the federal government assume such powers, its acts under them would be void. It was the right of the states to decide as to the constitutionality of such acts.
The resolutions were submitted to other states for approval but with no real result. Their importance lies in that they were later considered to be the first statements of states' rights theory and led to the concepts of nullification and interposition. They were also later used by the Confederate States of America to justify their secession from the Union during the American Civil War.
External links
- Text of Kentucky Resolutions (http://www.constitution.org/cons/kent1798.htm)
- Text of Virginia Resolution (http://www.constitution.org/cons/virg1798.htm)