ABSTRACT
One can trace anti-terrorism legislation in the United States back to the dawn of the country's existence, long before its independence as a country and during its early colonial era. Indeed, one author asserts that the first terrorist or "homeland security incident" occurred in 1607. While there presumably a variety of laws during the colonial and revolutionary period which could be classified as laws defending the homeland, the first major law passed by Congress after the United States independence dealing with what could be called homeland security and/or anti-terrorism legislation was the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798. The Acts collectively dealt with dealing with immigrants/aliens "dangerous" or being an "enemy" of the United States, and the government's ability to deal with such dangerous individuals, the Alien and Sedition Acts are oft described as America's first experiment with anti-terrorism/homeland security legislation. The Sedition Act was equally draconian as it related to political dissension and free speech.
