Which act was enacted during a time of tension with France, aiming to suppress dissent?

The Sedition Act was enacted during a period of heightened tension between the United States and France, particularly during the presidency of John Adams in the late 1790s. The act aimed to suppress dissent by making it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or its officials. This was seen as a way for the Federalist government to curb opposition from the Democratic-Republicans, who were sympathetic to the French during the ongoing conflicts abroad.

The act was controversial because it targeted speech and press freedom, leading to significant pushback from political opponents who viewed it as an infringement on the First Amendment rights. It occurred amid fears of internal dissent that could undermine national security during a time when the U.S. was anticipating potential conflict with France, known as the Quasi-War.

In contrast, the Alien Act, while also intended to suppress dissent by allowing the president to deport foreigners deemed dangerous, does not specifically relate to the suppression of dissent through penalizing speech. The Embargo Act was focused on trade restrictions and maintaining neutrality in international conflicts rather than directly targeting domestic dissent. The Intolerable Acts were punitive measures enacted by the British against American colonies prior to the Revolution, thus not relevant to this context.