What happened before the Virginia and Kentucky resolution?

Before the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions were adopted in 1798, the United States was experiencing significant political tensions between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans. The Federalists, who held a majority in Congress, passed the Alien and Sedition Acts, which aimed to suppress dissent and limit the power of immigrants. In response, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison drafted the Resolutions to assert that states had the right to declare Federal Laws unconstitutional, laying the groundwork for states' rights arguments. This conflict reflected the growing divide over the balance of power between state and federal government.