Answer :
Final answer:
Thomas Jefferson pardoned the defendants convicted under the Sedition Act due to constitutional violations, especially the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech, and the act's role in smothering political opposition. The correct answer is (a) Constitutional violation.
Explanation:
President Thomas Jefferson pardoned all ten defendants who were convicted under the Sedition Act due to concerns about constitutional violations. The Sedition Act was seen by many, including Jefferson, as a contravention of the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech. This act, introduced by the Federalist Party, was largely regarded as a tool to smother political opposition.
Most scholars believe that the act would be deemed unconstitutional in modern courts. The Federalists, during the John Adams administration, used the act to attack and weaken the opposing Democratic-Republican party, showing that the act was primed more for political warfare than it was for protecting civil liberties.
Furthermore, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison had initiated actions against it through the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, suggesting that states could nullify federal laws that overstepped constitutional powers.
