" and demanded ransom.22 Some angry Americans called for outright war. Others, such as President John Adams, thought the new nation was no match for the French. Fearing that public debate would fatally undermine the fledgling government, Adams sought to quell the discord by signing a set of four laws that became known as the Alien and Sedition Acts. These acts allowed the government to imprison and deport “dangerous” foreigners and made it a crime to criticize the government.23 "

― , Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age