Part 2 follows Congress as the Quasi-War fears peak and the Federalists move a package of laws aimed at immigrants and political opposition: the Naturalization Act, the Alien Enemies Act, the Alien Friends Act, and the Sedition Act. We break down what each law did, the penalties and sunset clauses, and the core constitutional fight over whether criminalizing criticism of the government could coexist with the First Amendment, including the competing Federalist and Democratic-Republican theories of seditious libel and federal court power.

Part 3 then moves from legislation to enforcement, as Jefferson warns of a coming "reign of witches" and the first wave of prosecutions begins, targeting opposition newspapers and loud political enemies. We track how the Federal court system and Federalist marshals shaped outcomes, and we follow early cases ...