The United States of America was founded on the idea that every person has a set of inalienable, God-given rights that must be protected at all costs. Among them are the freedom of religion, the right to bear arms, and the freedom of the press. The First Amendment of the American Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, preventing censorship and ensuring that information reaches every corner of the country. But these rights had to be defended throughout American history from those who strove to take them away. The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 was the first major test for this American system. It made criticism of the government illegal, thereby stifling the freedom of speech and the press in America. But the American people would not rest while their rights were taken from them before their very eyes. Protests broke out across the country as the people called on …