The main purpose of the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions during the Adams presidency was to

Condemn the Sedition Act as a violation of the Free Speech Clause to the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (the Bill of Rights)

Argue that Congress had exceeded its powers by passing the law

Argue that Congress could only exercise those powers specifically delegated to it

To argue that according to Article I of the Constitution authority was given to the legislative branch to regulate political speech

MsEleanor MsEleanor · Answer 2 · 2018-08-30T00:59:29+02:00

Declare the Alien and Sedition Acts as unconstitutional and affirm the states' rights to limit the power of the federal government.

The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, written by Jefferson and Madison, stated the Alien and Sedition Acts passed by John Adams were unconstitutional and violated the rights of citizens. They wanted to make it known the federal government could not limit the free speech of citizens even if they were speaking out against the government.

The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions would be used by later leaders to support nullification of federal laws as well as support the idea of secession. Though this was not the intent of Jefferson and Madison, the message of the documents were extended to argue states had the power to ignore federal mandates and laws the state deemed unconstitutional.