d) States’ rights

The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798 and 1799 argued in favor of the principle of states’ rights. Authored by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, respectively, these resolutions asserted that states had the right to judge the constitutionality of federal laws. The resolutions were a response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, which they deemed unconstitutional. These documents played a crucial role in the development of the doctrine of states’ rights and the concept of nullification, influencing American political thought and the relationship between state and federal governments.